(Another homage to Dorothy Parker) I’ve got a new word for wrinkles I choose to call them skin I’ve had a lot of facelifts Or as I describe them, grins I keep my figure looking trim By buying bigge…

I was called up as the emergency, last minute poet by my lovely friends at Sunday Assembly, our booked poet having had to pull out at the last minute. I was going to dig through my poem cupboards and find something I'd already written, but then decided to challenge myself to write new ones, even though I had only 24 hours, 11 of which were spent socialising. (Yes, of course wine was involved! Duh!) The main topic for the day was "Dolphins, their world and ours" a fascinating talk delivered by…

In recent weeks I’ve been fortunate to continue my lifelong learning journey through conversations with and about people whose life experience has been very different from mine. These enriching encounters have been made possible by, amongst others, my faculty buddies on the LBC2 Programme, Publicis Sapient, PrideWide, Marieke Bigg, PhD, Majken Askeland and of course, my work, play and performance partner Paul Loper, PhD.As I prepare for my sessions at Byline Festival in July and on the LBC2programme in September/October, I am updating my research on the timeline of equality legislation, and the disappointing lack of impact of that legislation on real equality.

"Are you still there, Mum?” With the opening bars of “Summertime” I see her body begin to sway. At the Drury Lane Theatre her foot is tapping along to every 42nd Street song. In our living room behind her shop in Holme Lane she’s lost in a novel. As am I. “Yes, our Kay, I’m still here.” “Are you still there, Dad?” On Blackpool beach from sand we build a castle with a moat and turrets. I’ve climbed the wall in our back yard to jump off it into his arms.

A naïve young pelican smashed to death on the shore by an unexpected wave. The vultures circle above politely taking turns to rip into the carcass __________ The constructed tribes go to war crushed and broken bodies lie among the flattened buildings. The vultures circle above patiently awaiting their turn to feast on the remains __________ As the tribes that they have created go to war- the crushed and broken bodies lying among the flattened buildings - billionaire arms traders count their gains, drooling. Greedily awaiting their reward. This is a reworked version of the piece previously published as "Hawks"

It was almost time for the tide to turn; The young waves threw themselves violently at the sandy ridge Only to be turned away by the power of gravity. The elder waves said, “Save your energy, kids …

(with thanks to Tom from Brood Roastery) If only….Aimlessly orbiting a dozen retail planets,vainly waiting for those gifts with your names on them to leap off the shelf into my hands,I encoun…