I was born in 1964, West Yorkshire, England. I have lived in the same town north of Leeds for most of my life. I'm married with 2 children. I was for 25 years or more a registered Contact Lens Optician. In 2009 I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease, and this plus my wife's battle with cancer has radically altered not only my life but my outlook. A few years ago, following yet another drug hike, I started waking up with fully formed poems in my mind, that I just had to write down.
Writing poetry has given me back purpose, a life, a thing. It has been, given my personal situation, a lifesaver and a game-changer, allowing me to meet some wonderful people and be part of a circle (community) of poets, something that gives me great pleasure.
Poetry is often thought of as something not easily understood, difficult to grasp, but in reality it is not necessary to know what the poet was getting at. I am not bothered whether somebody knows what my words are trying to convey or interprets it a different way. So long as the reader enjoys the feel/sound of the words, I give them pause to think even if they read a different interpretation than that intended, then I'm a happy poet!
