I’m pleased to announce that a project I’ve been privileged enough to contribute towards is on sale now.

“Fragments of an Unquiet Mind” is based on mental health and Identity. Mental health is a subject I’m passionate about as I’m sure you know from my scribbles like Cold Kiss, or Gone. So I had to throw my hat in the ring to raise awareness of mental health.

The money raised from the sale of this book is going to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, and if I can help raise a bit of money for charity, it’s a win win situation. As far as I’m concerned.

Please have a look and see what you think,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F8WD1YL3

Stay Safe, Pocket Peeps X

Bc

I turned 50 today,

Which means I’m halfway to 100.

I’m still arguing with my knees

About whose great idea it was

To chase my dreams barefoot on concrete.

---

I woke up this morning

With a wrinkle, I don’t remember meeting.

A grey hair in my beard that calls me ‘sir’,

And a back that negotiates before it bends.

But I woke up… and that, my friend,

Is poetry in itself.  

---

50 is not a finish line, it’s a flashlight

In the second act of the play.

A reminder that youth is a whisper.

And that wisdom is a megaphone made of memories

Of all those ‘almosts’ I survived. 

---

I’ve learnt that scars

Are simply tattoos with better stories.

That joy doesn’t always roar, 

Sometimes, it hums 

Like the laugh of someone who has seen the storm

And still dances in the drizzle.

---

I’ve buried dreams and planted new ones in their place

Watched time blur, like a Polaroid,

But I’m still here, heart thumping like a gospel drum

Voice steady like a bridge over breakage. 

---

See, 50 is not over, it’s open.

It’s the part of the novel where the protagonist 

Finally stops apologising and 

Hiding their light away.  

---

So here I am, 50 candles deep,

Each one a sun that dared to burn

A little longer and brighter than expected.

And I’m not done… Not even close

I’m just better at knowing when to rest,

And when to rise like thunder, with a purpose. 

---

Call me vintage.

Call me classic.

Call me middle aged.

Call me right on time with 

Who I have grown to become.

I’m Bob. Pleased to meet you. 

I’m incredibly proud to say that Issue 122 of The National Autism Society’s magazine
“The Spectrum” is out now and features yours truly.

https://nas.chorus-mk.thirdlight.com/file/24/asDKIN9aszgckfsasnZ2ajKznmU/Spectrum-122-April-2025.pdf

In some universe,

You never tripped over that heartbreak,

Never cried into your morning coffee.

In another,

You’re dancing in the rain, shirt open

Soaked to the bone, yet still smiling.

 

---

The multiverse is infinite.

Your problems aren’t.

They just feel like they’re everything

because right now,

they are.

---

But even this moment

has neighbors

where it’s already better.

(c)BobChristian

As it’s World Poetry Day, I thought I’d share one of my pieces with you.  Please let me know what you think of it. Feedback is always welcome.

Where Concrete Meets Community

This is a library.

But it’s more than just paper and ink.

More than simply a building. 

It’s the heartbeat of a neighbourhood;

A refuge wrapped in bricks and mortar.

---

Here, the air is thick with possibility,

And the scent of many eager hands, turning

Pages that whisper secrets to those who will listen.

Kids find adventures among the stacks

While waiting for parents, safe from outside chaos.

---

It’s where the unemployed

Tap keys with quiet desperation,

Searching for a lifeline in pixels.

Resumés crafted like lifeboats

Hoping to sail into a new beginning.

---

This place holds more than books, it holds us.

Our stories, our dreams, our fears.

Community event events bloom here,

Conversations weaving us closer.

A tapestry of shared experience.

---

And yet, whispers of its impending end

Echo through these rooms

Like a distant bulldozer rattling.

A threat feels like a storm on the horizon,

A future dimmed, if we do not act soon.

---

Use your library. Breathe life into its purpose.

Because once it has gone,

We lose much more than just a building…

We lose a piece of ourselves, cohesion,

A light in the dark, and a sanctuary.

(c)BobChristian2023

Here’s a collection of some of my recent photographs. (our cat may features a bit) all (unless stated otherwise) are taken on an iPhone 11 using the halide app

Let me know what you think, drop me a comment or an email etc

On Friday I had a therapy session to work through my emotions over Ollie.

Ollie as most of you know was a rescue kitten, he’d been found with a female younger kitten together abandoned.

I say therapy, i went to visit my old friends at The Ink Inn in Ivybridge. I wanted a tarot card tattoo, to mirror one on my other arm. It was to memorise Ollie as the bravest cat I’ve know. So as you can see below, it turned out just great.

The Star card for those of you who’re unfamiliar with tarot cards, follows on from the tower card.The tower card represents destruction. The Star represents hope, and strength. This I feel is a fitting tribute to such a selfless and heroic creature.

Stay Safe x

You may remember in December, I was lucky enough to have a piece of mine called “The Illusionist” featured in a new literary and culture magazine called Aeos.

I’m very pleased to announce that I’ve a piece called “Who are You” in this new issue, and it’s now on sale via the link below.

https://aeos.bigcartel.com/?_gl=1%2Aiy5bxl%2A_gcl_au%2ANDgyNTU3MjIzLjE3MzQwMzI5MTI.%2A_ga%2AOTA3MzIxODE2LjE3MzQwMzI5MTM.%2A_ga_QZ4HDFTSEZ%2AMTczNDAzMjkxMi4xLjEuMTczNDAzMjkyNS40Ny4wLjgyODgyMDU0&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabxli5VmoHSfrF9fDS3bDw_g3akHiLVxHhH-WCxt_1btRUcaSRBLLNln4Q_aem_UsYVHVDKkvkDx-ye_2XQ6w

While I must make it clear that I work for Optima Low Vision Services, I am not in the sales team, nor have I been asked or given any incentive whatsoever by them to create this post. 

As an autistic person, I have always worn sunglasses in social or difficult situations as they act like a two-way mirror (I can see out, but my eyes can’t easily be seen)  and this helps me to manage eye contact with other people. Not only do I often find that eye contact is physically painful, but it increases my feeling of vulnerability. I have therefore worn sunglasses inside and outside for a long time during social events.  However, I have found that sunglasses can make it more difficult to see in low light and this creates a few problems, as you might imagine. 

So, when I came across what looked like a pair of sunglasses in our stock at work, I thought they looked good and I bought a pair. However, I realised quickly that they are actually filters, and are far superior to sunglasses for me.  

Because the lenses of the filters are not as tinted as sunglasses, they can be used in low light situations, and I can see completely clearly both inside and outside. 

 This makes it much easier and more comfortable for me to engage in and manage conversations and social interactions indoors, or when it’s overcast or twilight, outside. At the same time, the tint on the filters is at prescription level and is therefore sufficient to protect my eyes from harsh sunlight, which is very important for people of my age. 

I have found that the filters help me to navigate difficult social situations with much greater ease, and are much more effective for me than sunglasses have been. They transform intimidating environments like travelling on my own on a packed train for several hours, or potentially stressful social interactions, both inside and out, into more manageable experiences. They’ve made my social life much less stressful. 

In addition, the lenses come with a choice of frames and colours to suit everybody. 

If you are interested in having a pair, please check out the website: https://www.optimalowvision.co.uk/

Stay safe

BC 

I once heard a voicemail,

A ghostly whisper through static.

My grandfather’s voice,

Heavy from the weight of hospital walls.

“Hey son,” he said,

“Thanks for stopping by that day,

It meant the world to me.“

His words rolled in like thunder,

Drowning out the sterile quiet of my room,

A storm of his pride,

The kind that wraps around you like a warm coat.

“You made me proud,” he continued,

“You’ve grown into someone

I always knew you could be.”

Time collapsed.

His words built bridges,

And I could see his smile

Like a lighthouse, cutting through the fog.

He spoke of moments

Captured in the soft click of a camera.

In the warmth of a hug.

In the bittersweet taste of goodbye.

“Keep remembering,” he urged,

Inviting me to linger

In the chapters of his stories;

The pages of our shared history.

The message ended.

But the silence felt heavier than absence,

And I clung to his words like a lifeline.

So here I stand in the shadow of his voice,

Knowing he listens.

As I hear the voice again,

I find reasons to believe

In the strength of a visit…

In the echo of love that never really dies.

(c)BobChristian2025