THE POETRY PAGE

Welcome to a place where I can show some of my poetry to a wider audience. This site originally started as part of my GeoCities website, but was moved here in April 2009 due to the forthcoming closure. I hope to update it more regularly starting with a new page of poems for May 2009, and the Hotel Trilogy written that same month.

Like most people, my first encounter with poetry was nursery rhymes, and a particular book with rhymes and stories for every day of the year. My birthday (November 9th) was near a fabulous rhyme about a lobster which I used to read and re-read. At school I learned to recite poetry in front of the class and started to write my own. When I left full-time education I more or less forgot about poetry. Then one day in 1995 I read an advertisement in the local paper, which said that a publishing company was looking for poems. Inspired, I wrote a shape-poem (inspired by The Mouse's Tail from Alice in Wonderland) called "The River". It was accepted for publication, and I got quite a buzz from seeing my name in print. A few months later and I saw another advertisement, this time from a company called Forward Press. They were publishing a regional anthology and wanted local poets. So I submitted another poem, this one inspired by Rupert Brooke, and was again accepted! I was hooked. I have been published over 30 times since, by small press magazines and various anthologies. I hope to publish my own collection soon, and to keep writing.

So, now onto the index of what's on these pages: - a selection of my own poems - poetry websites for you to look at - a few hints and tips that I have picked up - a NEW page on writing and inspiration If you want to contact me, you can send me e-mail.