If growth had a colour
What would it be?
The whitewash of love
Or the deep blues of grief?
Or buttery yellows
From when we're at peace?
Would growth be inked out in black
From the rages it's seen?
Maybe... perhaps growth is just green.
A bit brown at the roots
And flowers in season
Pre-determined by theme
Of God, loss or love
Or maybe all three.
See I've been doing some thinking
And have come to believe
That growth isn't one colour
But a glorious medley.
- TEE BAKER

Bark and Ink is a journey of words on growth. Baker reflects from the moment seeds are first sown into the earth and foundations are laid, to the far reaching roots of faith and love beneath the dark surface, before eventually blossoming into green shoots of realisation, new beginnings and hope. Readers are encouraged to accept the blunt and simple truth of it all, from the beat of a butterfly wing signalling new love, to the sour silence surrounding relationships we thought would never go wrong and we would hold onto forever. Each poem is preceded by a single key word and its dictionary definition, sometimes altered to give better personal understanding of the poet, thus inviting us to read between the lines. Whilst growth is always a beautiful process, Baker warns that "sometimes seeds are sown sick. Sometimes roots rot. And sometimes shoots never come to full bloom."