My pet peeves are

1. People who are intentionally ignorant. When, I say that, I mean people who can’t/wont look things up, and would rather live in ignorance. Or they won’t listen, or change their views when presented with scientific proof that refutes their perspective.
2. Saying things like “Everyone’s a little autistic, or “Autism wasn’t around when I was younger”, or some such ableist nonsense. It demeans and belittles my life experience, as an autistic adult. It was around, it just wasn’t known about, or diagnosed.
3. When someone takes the time to either explain my poetry to me, or tries to tell me that I need to change it, as it’s clearly about them. If that were the case, believe me, they’d have no doubt.

Also under number 2 – when people try to counter your feelings of chronic or suicidal depression with such verbal antidepressants as “Cheer up” or “You just need to think happy thoughts”.

Aside from the obvious answers of my wife, cat or kids etc.

I’d like to say that currently my favourite people are my peers and fellow poets that I’ve been lucky enough to work with this year. It’s been a hectic year, but I’ve made a whole bunch of friends in the process.

This is a really easy one for me. (Felis catus)

It’s cats without a shadow of a doubt, they’re the perfect companion for me. They’re not needy and I don’t have to walk them. I’ve nothing against walking, it’s just everyone wants to stop you and talk if you have a dog, I’m not a social creature.

Cats are hard work emotionally as you have to earn their respect and they go out and walk themselves, sometimes bringing (half eaten) presents for your bare foot at 0230hrs.

They’re adorable…

The only downside side is that when you loose one it hurts like hell.

Side note.

My Spirit Animal or honourable mention are Pheasants. They aren’t the brightest, can’t really fly, but they try to anyway, and look fabulous too.

I think we should all try to embrace our inner Pheasant. So let’s look fabulous and try doing that thing. You know the one you’ve always been putting off.

If it don’t work your still fabulous

Stay safe x

This is a very easy choice for me, as I go to the beach with Mrs Bob every week for a dance across the sands, and a paddle. It’s my weekly dose of Vitamin Sea.

This is an interesting question, and as there’s only three of us in our household, I feel that it’s only fair (and democratic) that we each choose one of the meals.

Mine has to be a home-made (gluten free) lasagne with salad and chips (fries). I’ve always loved it, since I can remember. There’s no nostalgic reason behind it, I just love it. (Side note: it’s the one dish where you can put one on top of another, and you still only have one lasagne).

Mrs Bob. Her favourite is home made cottage pie. That’s the British kind… made with minced beef, not lamb, as that would be shepherds pie. She makes hers with a slight twist of a tomatoey type. With cabbage, carrots and runner beans.

Noodles. No question, hers is FEEEESH. Frozen white fish fillet. She has one microwaved and cooled every morning without fail. And she knows the word Fish too….

What are your favourites?

There’s so many figures from history I’d love to meet. So narrowing it down to just one person is particularly hard. That being said, I think I would have to go with Albert Einstein

The reason I have chosen him is that as someone who’s worked in science roles and has a love of quantum mechanics or theoretical physics. I’d love to just sit and discuss with him, the fact that his work has influenced so many lives and technological developments such as GPS, or his Nobel prize for photoelectric effect in 1921.

I tend to listen to my instincts, but sometimes I need a little help. At which point I reach for my oldest (20 yrs) and most trusted deck of tarot cards.

While I do trust my instincts i usually find my cards will agree with my gut. The real trick is listening to your body and going with it.

I love October as it’s the best of the Wiccan Sabbats or holidays.

Yes I’m talking about Samhain or Halloween.

It’s the one holiday where the veil between living and dead is thinest and we remember those loved ones we’ve lost.

It’s also a great time to dress up and have a little fun before the nights really draw in and the cold winter days and nights set it.

Excerpt from “The Night the Dead Walk”

(Exclusive to Dark poets and buy me a coffee)

They told you Halloween was candy and costumes
cartoon witches, plastic masks, porch lights.
They lied.
This is Samhain, the true night.

Longmarsh is a beautiful spot by the river Dart in my hometown.

That I’m not an angry bald tattooed thug.