I Didn’t Use to Be Like This

The adage that life is more about the journey than the destination carries profound significance, especially considering that life’s ultimate destination is death. This sentiment, though bordering on cliché, is rich with meaning and potential.

I Didn’t Used to Be Like This invites readers on an extraordinary journey, one that aims to deepen our appreciation of life’s fragility and our inextricable connection to it.

This book is a tapestry woven from diverse threads – from stirring poems of protest to poignant personal narratives and reflections on those elements that spark the greatest of human responses: wonder.

Each piece is crafted from a highly distinctive perspective, yet resonates with the universal aspects of our shared human experience.

Themes of pain, heartache, and loss are intricately interlaced with hope, redemption, and the essence of humanity, painting a vivid portrait of the author’s daily thoughts and life’s challenges. While our experiences may differ, this book beautifully underscores the undeniable truth that, in the grand tapestry of life and mortality, we have much in common.

Quick, Where's The Exit?

E shares a deeply personal account of her experiences with trauma, the reactions to her disclosures, and her diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. She invites readers on a turbulent yet hopeful journey through her recovery. Her unique writing style, characterized by minimal punctuation, allows readers to interpret and experience each poem in their own way. With a powerful ability to evoke strong emotions, her poems come with a trigger warning.

Outrageous Rhymes

Outrageous Rhymes sparkles with funny observations and characters. Like a pig who becomes an interior designer or an elephant, whose desperation for a friend unravels into her becoming a killing machine – accidentally of course! It brings amusement to everyday schooling, suggesting homework contravenes the Child Protection Act and makes slightly naughty comments about family, teachers and everyday chores.

The rhymes reinvent some classic stories like Cinderella and Pinocchio with amusing observations of the characters, their flaws and their journey through the tale. Almost incontinent grandparents are given their moment in the limelight and Goldilocks does not fare well in being a kind and caring child. Morals may have conveniently been forgotten by some of the characters who you (and your parents) can judge at your leisure.

The Future

In this captivating collection, a seasoned poet with over nine decades of life experience invites readers on a lyrical journey through the passions that have coloured his world. With a voice honed by years of observation and introspection, he paints vivid word-pictures that bring to life the thundering hooves on the racetrack, the graceful arc of a diver’s plunge, and the roar of engines on the speedway.

But this is more than just a sports anthology. Drawing from a well of diverse interests, the poet serves up verses seasoned with culinary adventures, musical interludes, and the thrill of intellectual pursuits. Each poem is a window into a life richly lived, offering readers a unique perspective on the human experience.

Whether you’re a sports enthusiast, a lover of life’s finer pleasures, or simply someone who appreciates the wisdom that comes with age, this collection promises to entertain, inspire, and provoke thought. Join this passionate wordsmith as he shares the accumulated insights of a lifetime, proving that the fire of creativity burns bright at any age.

The Words Behind the Music Volume One: Lost in Reality

In the beginning when things are simple, and they’re done just for fun
The enjoyment’s there, you haven’t a care, but then what becomes?

The better you get, you may regret, in a later time
When money gets the better of pleasure and the fun then declines.

Enter the Darkness

Enter the Darkness is a collection of poetry documenting the feelings and experiences of the author over time.

The poetry within is relatable and is guaranteed to make the reader connect with the experiences and feel what the writer was feeling.

My Dreams and Themes

Andrea Wilkin, a distinguished retired couturier, ventures into the world of literature with a heartfelt collection of poetry. From fanciful verses about hippos, owls, and imaginative creatures to poignant poems on love, loss, and the changing seasons, Wilkin’s poems offer whimsy and wisdom in equal measure.This anthology, inspired by personal experiences and a vivid imagination, invites readers on a journey through the joys, sorrows, and wonders of life, offering a reflection on the beauty of the world through poetic narratives. From the powerful bond between sisters to the joys of motherhood, the wonderful and weird friends who keep you going to the ethereal beauty of winter, each poem, adorned with illustrations by Rachel Chaplin, becomes a window into the soulful contemplation of existence, love, and the enduring spirit of adventure.

Secrets, Lies and Little Joys

Poetry is far more than it seems. Writing verse can provide a creative shorthand for working through dark thoughts, making sense of your emotions and behaviours, as well as those of others. Poetry offers a way to navigate the tangled maze of challenges, strife, and joys that constitute our inner worlds. It can also magnify life’s wonders, awe, and delight. These varied experiences – regret, mistakes, learning, stumbling, and persevering with bravery – all comprise a life fully lived. Writing poetry helps minimize the bad times and spotlight the good. Revisiting these poems allows for deeper reflection, enriching your life further. Secrets, Lies and Little Joys contains a sampling of my own poems and experiences, along with contextual commentary. In some cases, I provide explanation of the impetus behind the verse. It is my hope these poems find a shared recognition, a communal understanding that you are not alone, mad, or bad in your travels through life.

Australia: A Miracle of Life

Australia: A Miracle of Life beckons you on a breathtaking expedition alongside Julie as she delves deep into the heart of this timeless and majestic terrain. Picture pristine beaches, winding rivers, rugged mountains, and lush forests that beckon with stories untold. Journey through vibrant cities, tranquil gardens, and quaint towns, immersing yourself in the rich tapestry of traditions and culture that define the Australian spirit. More than a travelogue, this is a poetic tribute to a land and its people. Let the magic of Australia captivate your soul!

Feelings

Feelings by David Peter Malin Maxfield is a poignant collection of poetry that delves deep into the human heart. Born in Tickhill, Yorkshire, in 1948, Maxfield brings a lifetime of experiences to his work, offering a rich tapestry of emotions that resonate with readers of all backgrounds. His poems traverse a wide range of themes, from tributes to beloved figures like Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II, to reflections on nature, love, loss, and the human condition.

Through his verses, Maxfield explores life’s most profound moments, encapsulating the essence of joy, sorrow, hope, and despair with remarkable clarity and depth. His work serves as a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human spirit, making Feelings a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the emotional landscapes we all navigate. Whether it’s the raw emotion of ‘Suicide’ and ‘Lonely Heart’ or the uplifting spirit of ‘Spring Love’ and ‘First Christmas,’ each poem in this collection is a window into the soul, offering a unique perspective on life’s many facets. This book is a journey through the heart, crafted by a poet who writes with authenticity and passion.

The Journey

For Antonatie Jemwa, The Journey, “…depicts the reality of events that each individual can relate to; it points out to positivity in the grand experience of life as it unfolds each chapter, just as each season, in a lifetime.”

Informed by faith, the poems have a common theme of love, of how enhancing and revitalising it can be, and yet at the same time so fragile. Grouped under headings like ‘Family’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Character’ and ‘Gone’, Jemwa shines a light on our interactions with the world, both metaphysical and real, which make The Journey a lottery that perhaps can only find an understanding through faith.

The Journey is a meditation, a sensitive look at our condition through the instrument of poetry.

The Ghost at Birkbeck Station and Other Terse Verse

In The Ghost at Birbeck Station Janet Ambrose offers a collection of poems formed by her early years in WWII, her life in politics and her life with dogs (amongst other things). The poetry views the world through a humorous lens, even the eponymous poem which relates an unnerving tale of contact with a ‘ghost' offers comic relief through a trick of light. There are doodlebugs and leaky dogs and run-ins with local authority. And there is an analysis of the Thatcher years from the perspective of one who was not too enamoured by the social contribution of the Iron Lady.