Charting an international journey through the beauty of nature and art, the starkness of urban life and the honesty of human emotion, Flying Through Cloud evokes both the humour and vulnerability of our condition. Derek Baines, in this first collection, reconciles our thirst for travel with a constant need for home. A singular and accessible voice, luring us to sensuous highs. ‘These poems are elegant as a kimono. Indeed, at times they feel slightly Japanese – gentle, beautiful, graceful and flowing.’ – Kate Llewellyn