It's Murder!

It’s Murder! takes its name from the common expression used by people when making light of the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
These 30 poems show the complexity of the human character when met with adversity.
Particular inspiration has been drawn from the author’s perspective and imaginings from the national lockdown beginning in March 2020.
Vivid, fun, thought-provoking and complex themes captivate the reader and hold them to the very end.

Introspection

Grief, loneliness and sadness have never been easy for me to express and unfortunately, I’ve had many reasons to in recent years. However, through writing poetry, I discovered a method to explore my emotions by depicting small worlds and smaller characters that capture how I feel. By placing myself in these fictional spaces I was able to look further inward and pay the cost of coming to terms with my identity.

Through introspection you may learn a lot about yourself, but there also is a danger of looking too deep and losing yourself along the way. This is the journey I started on a long time ago and I have yet to see how it ends.

Iniquity

The poem cycle Iniquity tells a tale of unfulfilled love as seen through the eyes of a teenager, taking the reader on a heartfelt journey of hope, trust, desire and dreams which will finally be crushed by the bitter iniquity of life.

Written when the author was sixteen years old, Iniquity’s haphazard jumble of emotions are embedded in every line of every poem. Taken as a whole, the book represents an authentic record of each emotional stage of a love story.

Readers are sure to recognise the feelings these poems evoke, whether they experienced them in the past or continue to battle against them even now.

Indigo Ashes

Indigo Ashes is a collection of poems conceived as a journey.

The journey of a man, a soul, a human being and his experience on this planet.

The search for the meaning of his own

existence, the questions and the struggle with

the divine, the fights for his spiritual and

physical survival, loves and broken heart,

disappointments, illusions and suffering.

But also joy, courage, daring, wonder, redemption, deliverance, and finally, peace.

Inciting Change

Whilst being homeless for two years and living on the peripherals of society, many an hour was contemplated to realise what is paramount in one’s life. Together, with the support and help from specialised agencies, I now have been housed and working for 13 years.

Eternally grateful for prayers answered, I hope that through the sharing of my words, others can gain insight and inspiration from a different world of thought and experience. It is hoped that the reader may realise that “coupled with consistency, the right support, love, and timely opportunities, one can conquer adversity!”

To those currently struggling with adversity in their lives, whatever their circumstances may be, I sincerely pray and hope for a better tomorrow. I regained my faith in God and humanity and pray you do too. If my words have by some measure helped in the process, I am humbled.

In the Course of Dreams

In the Course of Dreams offers a profound odyssey into the heart of existence. Through poetic ruminations, it delves into timeless quandaries: life’s purpose, the essence of justice, the bounds of freedom, and the eternal dance of good and evil. Despite the weight of these themes, a luminous thread of hope weaves throughout, crafting a tapestry that is both current and eternal.

Il-i-ad That Lad

… Long ago in a far distant and different – though maybe not so – world, 1,250BCE, yet-to-be Greeks tried to retake that world’s most beautiful woman, Helen of Troy, ‘the face that launched a 1,000 ships’ (actually 1,034). She’d been seduced/abducted by Paris, the Trojan prince. If she existed she may have been an excuse for colonial conquest, like the non-existent ‘weapons of mass destruction’ of Iraq 2003, as Troy was a key trading centre. Or the war may have been due to widespread famine, thus mass migration in the Med.
This innovative take on Homer’s ancient epic Iliad uses a stream-of-consciousness style within a traditional ten-syllable rhyming structure. There are very graphic descriptions of one of our bloodiest wars, but also magic, as the god(desse)s interweave throughout, dispensing miracles for their favourites, nobbling rivals. Zeus, on Mount Olympus, plays chess master, pulling the strings, alongside Fate. And there are wonderful similes from the natural world.
Given new resonance by the continuing war in Ukraine, Troy’s timeless lessons are unfortunately likely to become more, not less, relevant with increasing competition for shrinking resources, and now that the crises of global heating and nuclear Armageddon threaten practically all life on the planet. The futility of war and destruction has always been humankind’s Achilles Heel! The ancient Greek earth-mother goddess GAIA has largely become (G)reed, (A)rrogance), (I)gnorance, (A)ggression. The power-brokers of our brave new world are descendants of those peoples past – do we have enough of whatever wisdom they had to survive?
If you like Greek mythology or history-fantasy or similar, you’ll love this modern twist on a tale of long ago…

If Cows Could Fly

Ever seen a flying cow, a horse that knits, or an eel that rides a bike? Well, welcome in to a world where your fantasy and imagination can bring them all to life.

This set of humorous poems, mainly concerning the strange things animals may get up to, are suitably illustrated by the author's whimsical drawings.

I'll Draw an Iris on my Heart and send it to You

The thing about poetry is, that
She has but the simplest of rules.
She does not have to rhyme,
Nor be written in clear lines.
She doesn’t even need true letters,
All she has to do, is move the spirit, break the heart and mend an injured soul.

Helene J. Storm

I Turned a Corner Once

I Turned a Corner Once is a collection of poems that explore the experiences and relationships of the author over the course of fifty years. From their youth in a small coastal town in Cornwall in the 1950s, to hippy collectives and their career as an airline pilot, the poems in this book cover a wide range of themes including romance, humor, and the unknown consequences of our actions. Through it all, the author learns to embrace change and instinctively "turn the corner" towards new experiences. This book is a deeply personal and introspective look at the journey of self-discovery.

Humour of a Housewife

Do you ever feel like your husband’s antics have pushed you to the brink of madness? If so, you’ll find comfort in Humour of a Housewife, a collection of witty poems that hilariously capture the trials and tribulations of daily life. From navigating the chaos of kids to the misadventures of a less-than-perfect spouse, these poems offer a humorous take on the ups and downs of being a housewife. So pour yourself a glass of wine, sit back, and let the laughter begin!

Humanity

Many of the difficulties we face in life are within ourselves. It is the constant war within that exhausts so many people. If we are to make our way to higher ground, we must come to terms with the many weaknesses of the human condition. Arrogance, that sense of superiority, greed, and envy are just a few. We must reach out beyond these things to the soul of the being if we are to have any hope of finding who we are. If we make contact, we will find a spiritual space where we can thrive, where we can expand our horizons, come to terms with, except that we are just one part of nature journeying through the greater scheme of things. To accept is to be at one. It is not easy, in many ways, we are groping in the dark, not sure what we want, not sure that we want to find it. This is where humanity is stationed. For what it is worth, I believe we are part of something greater. Something beyond our human comprehension. That is what this collection of poetry is about. Reaching out to that something; that something other.