I’m Bob Christian; a husband, father, grandfather and cat dad. I’m a dyslexic poet. I am on the Autism Spectrum and I started writing poetry, or scribbles as I’ve always referred to them, to help me to process my thoughts and emotions. It’s also helped with my PTSD. It’s gone from there and after over 20 years is still going strong, I’m now finally dabbling in to photography as I’ve been told I have a good eye.
My dream job would be either a photographer or a social media manager because both roles align closely with my interests and skills. In my spare time, I enjoy taking photos and creating content for social media, which has helped me develop a strong creative eye and an understanding of what engages an audience. Photography allows me to express creativity through visuals, while social media management combines creativity with strategy, such as planning posts, analyzing engagement, and building an online presence. Since these are skills I already practice regularly and feel confident in, pursuing one of these careers would be both enjoyable and rewarding for me.
If you’re new here, I should introduce myself. I’m Bob. You’ve probably picked that much up already… I’m a part-time poet and photographer. I have written for over 20 years, but have only recently gained the confidence to submit my pieces for inclusion in magazines. I’m very grateful that they’ve mostly been accepted.
I live quite close to the sea in Devon, and at weekends I indulge my love of nature there, and you’ll find that I take mostly pictures of nature… birds, blooms and the sea.
If you could un-invent something, what would it be?
If I could un-invent one thing from history, it would be the nuclear weapon—not because the science itself is evil, but because its existence permanently tethered human survival to a single point of failure. Nuclear weapons didn’t just change how wars are fought; they changed how civilization lives, under the constant shadow that one miscalculation, accident, or unstable leader could end everything. No invention before or since has given humanity the power to erase itself so completely, so quickly, and so irreversibly.
There are two ways i can reduce the clutter (if you can call it that) in my life…
One. I could reduce my comic book collection from its current state of around 6-700 books, this would raise cash that I’d probably use on more graphic novels. I have however started to get books on kindle unless they’re very collectible, or not on kindle. This helps reduce the numbers and keeps Mrs Bob happy.
I’m a Batfan
Two. I could reduce the number of lenses I have in the house. I have around 4-5 i use regularly and around 6 vintage lenses that I occasionally use for fun or certain effects. Some are very old, 1970 (older than me) but I keep them for sentimental value on shelves etc.
Current daily use collection
So thats how I’d reduce my clutter. How about you?
My most memorable road trip would be in 2012. I finished work at 11:30hrs got in my car and drove 250 miles to spend the weekend with my new partner at her home for the first time.
Those that know me know that I don’t like making long journeys, especially motorway driving, the trip was long and stressful due to not knowing the route etc, but after 3.5hrs driving I made it to the lovely rolling hills of the South Hams.
14 years on, and the now Mrs Bob & i are happily married and have a beautiful life in the Devonshire countryside.
This was the most memorable and epic road trip of all time.
Imagine if procrastination actually paid your bills.
Second Draft turns unfinished ideas into income by matching people who start projects with people who love finishing them. You begin a business plan, write half a book, or design a product—then our platform auctions the rest to skilled finishers who complete it and share the profits with you. We turn abandoned potential into shared success. In a world full of half-done dreams, we’re the company that finishes the job.”
Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
The item, not surprisingly is a graphic novel. Although not Batman as you might think. No, it’s The Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons. This was purchased, after reading the copy a lad at boarding school lent me. It was my very first graphic novel.
Over thirty years later I have a collection of hundreds of graphic novels, and collectibles. Including a HotToys Batman as a wedding present. I know folks that work in comics, and I’m genuinely a massive geek.
So to answer the question. What became of it? Well it has stayed by my side, and started a love affair with comic books thats lasted over thirty years. So now it’s sealed away in the part of my comic book collection thats not filling my bookcase.
In its place is a copy signed by Dave Gibbons. That was a gift from Mrs Bob.
My mission as impossible as it seems at times, is to write that one poem that truly stands out and makes people stop and think about a given subject, be it mental health or the social issues of the day.
I write because some truths refuse to stay quiet. Poetry became the place where my mind could finally exhale where the chaos of anxiety, the weight of depression, and the unspoken fears could exist without apology.
On the page, I learned that healing doesn’t mean being fixed; it means being honest. Each line is a small act of survival, a way of naming the shadows so they lose their power.
Poetry didn’t cure me, but it taught me how to listen to myself, how to turn pain into language instead of letting it turn inward. In that way, writing became both mirror and medicine a reminder that vulnerability is not weakness, but proof that I’m still here, still fighting, still feeling.
At the same time, poetry became my megaphone. When I write about societal injustice, I’m not chasing perfection or fame I’m chasing truth. I write for the people who are tired of being statistics, for the stories that get buried under headlines and hashtags.
Poetry lets me slow the world down long enough to say: this matters, these lives matter, and silence is not an option.
It’s where anger becomes articulation, where grief becomes a call to action. If mental health poetry is how I heal myself, then my social activist poetry is how I stand with others using rhythm and words to push back against systems that thrive on indifference, and to remind us that empathy is a radical, necessary act.
What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?
While we all dream, or strive to live a long life.
Living a very long life offers more time to grow, reinvent oneself, deepen wisdom, and build lasting relationships, potentially strengthening responsibility to future generations.
Yet extreme longevity can dilute motivation and meaning if life lacks structure, and it may bring emotional fatigue, loss, or stagnation.
Ultimately, a longer life matters only if it remains healthy, adaptable, and purposeful- reminding us to live fully now, even as we imagine having more time.
The Ramblings of Bob Christian 