For over fifteen years he has been in loco parentis (or Poetry Father) for the Poetry Society's Young Poets Award writing week at one of the Arvon Foundation's writing centres.

Getting the Hang of it

Maybe, one day, I shall get the hang of it,
the mild and bitter, sweet and sour tang of it.

The Cupid's bow-and-arrow boomerang of it,
the why you never wrote and never rang of it.

The chalk and cheese, the hard/soft yin and yang of it,
the ego, id, the Sigmund Freud and RD Laing of it.

The Adam, Eve-olution and orang-outang of it,
the lock, stock, barrel and big bang of it.

I hope to say, before I die, despite the pang of it,
I've held it in my arms and not just sang of it.

Saggitarius the site inspector

Songlines