GT poems

If you could change the ending of any book, which one would it be? I would change the ending of my own book, the only one I actually have control over. Why, I  hear you ask. Well, honestly I think it’s just too good. What’s it called? CHOPSTICKS, a gothic thriller Where can I possibly buy it? Use the link below! https://amzn.eu/d/05zBST8N Why not give it a read and see for…

What’s a common misconception people have about happiness? People perceive happiness as a future event and not one that is possible right now. Once I have that job, that partner, that car, that house I will be happy, you.migh hear them say. In search of elusive things they determine they are unhappy in the present. Be appreciative of what you have in the moment. Whatever you gain in life, enjoy…

Ask any England fan the question. They will confidently declare their team will go to the World Cup and win it despite having only won it once, and not for (checks the latest version of the 3 lions song) 60 years. If a team in your organisation failed to achieve its primary objective for sixty years, you would probably conclude it never would. So why does belief persist? What if there was a…

The manager What happens when your project leader departs two days before launch? Your project manager is the glue that binds everything. The key tactician, the one who brings the team together.  But what if they were secretly negotiating a new contract with another company while pretending to be focussed on the job in hand? And should this matter? A CIPD study on Trust and Organisational…

What is something you wish you could tell your 20-year-old self? I wrote a lot when I was younger, stories poems and essays. For some reason, I think work and life pressures as the by went by I just never seemed to find the time for it, never quite able.to finish anything. When covid hit I realised that if I didn’t pursue the dream, to write a book, I  would regret it. We were all surrounded by…

Monday morning does not loom anymore. There is no agenda, no planned meetings and no unexpected absence to cover. That’s because the work is done. The business has closed, the end of an era. Without realising it, daily life has been a series of tasks and actions, the daily commute (short for me as I generally worked from home), responses to emails. Rewriting the emails before sending them so…

What’s a song that always puts you in a good mood? Mr Blue Sky by ELO. Put this on first thing and try not to wake up in a good mood. I would say it’s almost impossible!!

How do you build loyal subscribers? Its always a joy to get a new subscribers. The power of the Internet connecting people from across the globe in seconds. Through all my posts, whether it is poetry, short fiction or my HR and people related work I am always working towards the same aim. Connection, resonance and sharing experience.  If you’re a writer, the success comes I think with sharing…

What’s a simple pleasure in life that brings you joy? A warm pastel de nata from a proper bakery, and getting the kids to try one for the first time. A crisp glass of champagne on the last day of work. The way the dog taps on the back door to be let in. Sunset in the garden. An accidental joke. A glimpse of a deer through the trees. Snow days. Fish and chips straight from the wrapper. The few…

Daily writing promptWhat’s a thing you were completely obsessed with as a kid?View all responses I don’t think I was ever particularly interested in passing trends as a child. Other people moved quickly from one obsession to another, but for me there were always two constants: music and books. They still are. I read constantly growing up, sometimes things that were probably a little too…

Daily writing promptWhat is the best concert you have been to?View all responses I have been to lots of concerts in my time, aside from writing, music is kind of my thing’. They have pretty much all been great in their own way. I think the best thing is always about being able to say I was there when… Oasis at Maine Road, supported by Manic Street Preachers and Ocean Colour scene is still…

Daily writing promptWhat’s the most interesting local custom you’ve encountered?View all responses Now, I don’t know if this is the most interesting local custom, but it does have the potential to take off. So much so that I wrote a poem about it, the infamous Wigan Kebab. For those not in the know, Wigan is famous for it’s pies, ironically in some ways stemming from the 1926 general strike in…

List the people you admire and look to for advice… I struggle with this one. I know some people have mentors and great people in their lives who they admire, but I have always been pretty independent. I admire anyone who ignores the doubters and gets on with being the best version of themselves but not really anyone specific. Who do you admire? Tell me what they do to inspire you?

Do you vote in political elections? I won’t vote in every election. As much as I  feel I should exercise my democratic right, the political world seems filled with selfish ambitions and people who cannot connect or understand the struggle of most people. I won’t vote for something that doesn’t have humanity at its core, and sadly there is very little to choose between parties in this respect at…

There is something about aging that, for some people takes the edge off who they are. We forget that the rebellious punks of the 70’s are probably all pensioners now, but it hasn’t stopped them from misbehaving! I summed it up in a little poem which I have made into a downloadable digital print. Follow the link for your…