Depression is not a simple ailment. Nor is the treatment of it. I’m not talking about those times when you just feel down. I’m speaking of times when life is such a burden that you would welcome its end. When dark thoughts invade your mind and won’t be dislodged....

As I have mentioned before, I really enjoy the poetry of Harry Graham and his “Ruthless Rhymes” such as this one: When grandmama fell off the boat, And couldn’t swim (and wouldn’t float), Matilda just stood by and smiled. I almost could have slapped the child. Graham...

If the idea is simple, a 4-line poem can take minutes. More complex ones can take hours, days or even years. I try to be precise with my metre (rhythm) and make sure that the stress is always on the right syllable. It’s beCAUSE (stress on second syllable) not BEcause...

There is no one way, no formula that can be applied. The first thing I need is a good idea. The second thing is a smartphone or a notebook to write it down before I forget it. Many good ideas have sidled out of my head never to be heard from again because I thought...

In my previous blog I discussed some of my favourite poems and why I like them. There are so many and they’re so varied. The longer ones get to develop the characters so you can identify with them. The short ones are very different. With them it’s the concept and the...