Grandfather's Robin offers poems about People, Fellow Creatures, Society, Ekphrasis, Scenes and Moods, Survival, and Short Poems. They were written over several years, in response to people seen, read about, or known, and in response to creatures seen, read about, or known. Other poems respond to group and social behaviour, and reflect responses to works of art. Some poems are prompted by the natural world, urban and village life, and thoughts about the survival of all beings. The short poems offer instants both serious and humorous.

"So many reasons to enjoy Gillian Bickley's luminous poetry – humour, depth and wisdom. ... Lovely and evocative, Bickley's powers of observation and precise, selective description lend many of these poems the power of fine portraiture, a sepia photograph, where we see into the eyes, where we discover essence."

— Jack Mayer, poet (Poems from the Wilderness)

"In this work, Gillian Bickley affords us a glimpse into her perspective. She invites us to reflect on the rich tapestry of life and our shared human experience. Why should you read this collection? Because there is no greater privilege than intimacy."

 —Mary-Jane Newton poet (Of Symbols Misused, Unlocking)

 "... poems as moments of tranquility in which we can encounter lives unrolling in times that ... are anything but. To make a record such as this is a good resolution indeed, and I am pleased that Gillian has chosen for the cover a moment of tranquility I painted. As Mrs. Dorothy Collins might have said, reflecting, as these poems do, the quietness of a life-long practice, 'Very well!'"

—Steven Schroeder, Chicago