Welcome

It all began with a falling seed in a movement class.
I wrote a poem about how it fell to the ground.

Now and again I’d write a bit more.
It was a fun thing to do.
I liked language, sounds and movement.

Then when I was in my teens my brother was knocked off his bike.
He wasn’t wearing a helmet.
He was in coma. He survived.
I wrote a lot of poetry as this was a hard time for me and my family.
Years later I wrote a story tribute to my brother.

I went to a poetry festival, and read out some of my work.
It was a new thing really understanding how poetry sounds when it is read aloud.
Years later I was invited back to this same poetry festival to read my work.

At college I was still writing poetry and someone said, ‘you are a bit like
TS Eliot.’ So I looked up his poems, and began to read a lot of other poet’s work; this was part of a journey.
I was looking for my own voice.

I could see the poetry of song writing from a young age, and much later I would write song lyrics.
I loved the work of Seals and Crofts, Simon and Garfunkel and Don McLean.
These days I love the songs of Alesa Lajana, Mumford and Sons, and Sarah Storer.

Poetry was/is always there.
I kept writing at university.
A lecturer offered us a free book if we wrote a villanelle.
Only two of us did it, and he gave us a book.
I can’t remember the book, but I remember the joy of achieving the challenge.

Life went on, more joys, and challenges.
Marriage, study, children, funerals, travel, working with youth, mentoring.
Poetry was always there, to be read and written.
Poetry was in life and life was to be written.
But also creativity, imagination, in a poem you don’t always have to be just you.

Then I discovered plays and memoir.

Why do I still write poems?

I think because a deep words, kind words, powerful words, emotional and unique metaphors, can make a difference if someone reads them and is inspired to be someone who makes a difference in the world.

I like to create poems to make you think and dare to dream – to dream of all that is possible for others and the world.
I like the occasional puzzling poem, but also poems that speak directly to the heart.

How about you?