Our guest feature today comes from poet, Desmond Childs. Des has come along to share his poetry journey so without further ado, it’s over to Des.
My Poetry Journey
Desmond Childs
My interest in poetry first developed during a school English class at the age of fourteen in which we were required to write a poem. I wrote a poem called ‘Time’ which was later published in the school bulletin. Since then, I’ve written poetry in my spare time, finding it to be an outlet from the pressures of everyday life and fulfilling my need to be creative. This also led me to start reading some of the historical poets such as William Blake, Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe all of which I admire. Later, I started to read more contemporary poets such as Frieda Hughes, and I found her collections Wooroloo and Alternative Values inspirational in my own work.
In more recent times I’ve joined the Hog Cult at the Hedgehog Poetry Press and find the poets there to be the mainstay of my reading, which has led to the development of me as a poet.
I like to write poetry based on real life experiences and the intricate complexities of life with a little added essence of melodrama and fantasy.
Working with Mark Davidson and the poets at the Hedgehog Poetry Press has led to my poetry being published in anthologies such as my poem ‘Bedlam’ in The Bestiary of the Night, and more recently my debut poetry collection The Vagaries of the Heart by The Hedgehog Poetry Press.
“The Vagaries of the Heart is the debut collection from Desmond Childs and beautifully explores Love with gentle musicality in word and cadence, exploring shade and fracture in relationship in all of its petal-scented form.
This is a delightful collection and one that you will treasure from a poet who be-guides as well as beguiles.”
The Vagaries of the Heart is due to be released 31st July 2024. However limited edition copies are available to order via Desmond’s website from now.
Here’s the opening poem to the collection.
About Desmond Childs
Desmond was born in Birmingham in 1958 moving to Lichfield in 1959 at the age of 9 months, where he now lives with his wife and youngest daughter and their two dogs. His favourite pastimes are working in his greenhouse and garden, walking his two dogs, and reading and writing poetry. His poetry has been published in anthologies by Hedgehog poetry press, The Vagaries of the heart is his debut collection also published by Hedgehog poetry press. Desmond works for the local Authority as a garden/groundsman and is due for retirement, which he intends to spend gardening and writing poetry.
Links
Patricia M Osborne 