TonyBPoetry

IN and OUT of Darkness - The Book of Jack

Poetry and Spoken Word to increase Mental Health Awareness - As the title IN and OUT of Darkness suggests my poetry isn't all about challenges, there are also times in the light reflecting on positivity. I also write on other subjects that include my previous drinking, my family, football and numerous other subjects some touching on thoughts and comments about environmental and social issues.

Links to the various poem categories are shown at the bottom of this page.

THANK YOU for taking the time to visit my site.

IF YOU RELATE TO ANY DIFFICULT THEMES IN ANY OF MY POEMS, REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT ALONE. PLEASE REACH OUT IF YOU NEED ANY SUPPORT, INCLUDING LOCAL HELPLINES AND ONLINE RESOURCES. THROUGHOUT MY SITE THERE ARE LINK BUTTONS TO INFORMATION AND SUPPORT THAT IS AVAILABLE.

TALK - BE HONEST - BE STRONG - BE WELL

I hope you find something here that might resonate either with yourself or others. I think attitudes towards mental health challenges are generally improving but we still have a long way to go. Sometimes it's good to just get "stuff" off your chest and it can help that someone has listened, really listened, in a non-judgmental way. Even if it doesn't provide any answers to concerns and or challenges, it can still be a great start to things being easier just by being honest with ourselves and acknowledging issues. Some of my poems have been described as raw and emotional, with some words and intimations that may be seen as disturbing. Throughout this site there are link buttons to information and support available.

Your health is like an Iceberg

MENTAL HEALTH IS THE INVISIBLE PART OF THE ICEBERG

Mental Health, the same as physical health, can affect anyone, both are indiscriminate.

Even the biggest ships can be affected by the ice that lurks beneath the surface.

Talking about feelings, issues and concerns is a STRENGTH not a weakness.

TALK - BE HONEST - BE STRONG - BE WELL

I welcome any feedback or comments

Information on Mental Health Support

The Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon

Huntingdon Poetry Group

I am extremely grateful to the poetry group that meets at The Commemoration Hall in Huntingdon, and the individuals who attend on a regular or ad hoc basis.

Everyone that I have listened to there, has been a source of inspiration in one way or another. The group is very diverse covering a wide range of ages, backgrounds, experience levels and poetry writing. The warmth and encouragement that I received has fostered a belief in me, that some of what I have written isn’t too bad and this has given me confidence to continue sharing.

Two gentlemen who were particularly encouraging and kind about what I was writing, were George Stanworth an experienced performer and multi published poet, as well as the man who was instrumental in my poems being called Jack, see below, Geoff Edwards, a compelling wordsmith and story teller who has had some of his work published in a number of anthologies.

I wish to give a particular mention to the following ladies who host and promote the group, Angela Makey, Julie Stevens and Trish Harewood.

Many of the people who attend are experienced, published writers and it is great that they create and encourage a very welcoming and positive environment. Angela also runs a very successful and award winning independent book shop, Niche Comics

In addition to the monthly meetings Julie Stevens, who is a respected and published poet, also runs a poetry workshop every other month and I personally have found this to be very useful in writing in what I call a more conscious way about a wider range of topics.

The Book of Jack

When I first attended the group I had not named any of my work until, someone said it's important. I responded that he made it sound like that the things you write are like children and as such should be named. He said yes that’s exactly it and then started to tell me a weak joke about a woman who had numerous children all called Jack.

I said to Geoff, in honour of his joke, I will call my poems Jack and then referred back and organised what I had written into some form of chronological order. I now refer to my work as The Book of Jack.

Spoken Word Events

Someone that I met at the poetry group, who has been instrumental in me performing my poetry and pushing my boundaries, is Leon Al Bakry. Leon is a remarkable person in many ways. He is an actor, poet, performer as well as a mentor and role model to young people.

When I first met Leon he told me that he was in the process of putting together a show, a narrative about an inspirational journey that he has been on since early school years. He contacted me a few months later and to my great surprise he asked if I would like to perform some of my poetry at his show. I had only previously shared a few of my poems with a very small group of people at the poetry meetings and had never performed as such in front of an audience. I said at the time, that this was both generous and brave of him on what was to be a very personal evening for him, his family and friends, when performing the story of his journey.

I also had the privilege to share the stage with a very talented writer, poet, artist and singer, Lauren Barton, who shared some extracts from her two books, ‘Gra Mor’ and ‘To Blossom and Bloom’. All three of us sharing our different emotional journeys of discovery, through spoken word.

That evening, in August 2023 I felt very exposed standing in front of an audience. It was kind of scary and exhilarating in equal measure and I was nervous. Internally I processed the nerves as being similar to my experiences in football cup finals and said to myself that the butterflies gave it a sense of importance to me.

It is an experience that I am extremely grateful for and what made it especially worthwhile was that some people afterwards came and spoke to me and shared some of their challenging experiences, saying what I’d shared had resonated with them.

I found it exciting and rewarding doing something outside of my comfort zone.

Thank you, Leon.