Introduction

Welcome to the Issue 4 of Touch: The Journal of Healing

The most significant moments we experience in life are those involving transitions, and our most significant transitions are made easier when we have someone at our side to support us.  These transitions can be based on decisions we've made after long periods when we've had time to consider our alternatives, but sometimes, we must make difficult choices in the moment.  There are also times when we are unable to decide for ourselves, and if we are lucky, we have someone who loves us and who is strong enough to make a decision for us.

As we began our second year, we received more submissions for any one issue than ever before.  This made our selection process even more difficult, but it has allowed us to bring you a greater variety of writing styles from a larger number of writers.  The poetry and short story in this issue focus on moments of transition from the life we know to a life we have yet to discover; on moments when we recognize what we have learned or what we have yet to learn; and on moments when it seems our future is nothing more than chance.

We've selected works which take us from the moment of birth to the moment of death, and works which focus on pivotal and tenuous moments in the lives of people who are somewhere in-between.  Each piece tells a story with such clarity, it allows us to strip away the superfluous in order to see what is most important when we are most vulnerable, and when we experience life in the rawest of states.

It is our hope you come to this collection of poetry and prose in a receptive state of mind, ready to be moved by the many voices who speak from these pages, and it is our wish that when you leave us, you take a few moments to reflect on the transitions you've experienced in your own lives and what lies ahead for you and those you love.

We thank all who offered their work to us, and we take great pride in bringing you these voices which we believe speak with clarity about discovering life's depth and breadth.  Please join us now in this journey of Touch: The Journal of Healing.

O.P.W. Fredericks, Editor

Daniel Milbo, Assistant Editor