I was born in 1968 in Port Elizabeth, then raised in foster care from the age of four, as we're my two younger

sisters and older brother. I was a shy, troubled youngster who loved to escape reality by voraciously reading anything

and everything . I attempted to write when I attended Bergvlei High School, but after an essay submission

was not well received, i never wrote again. I married twice, but my youth had left me a scarred person. Ten years in the

South African Defense Force added to the mix.

That left me scarred even further. Seven miscarriages with my first wife set the tone for the rest of my life, as I never

had any children, eventually adopting my first wife's son Edmund (who tragically passed away six years ago) and my

daughter Jamie with whom I have had little contact.

My writing journey began during the nightmare of 2019 (when I was diagnosed with Bipolar) and 2020, where I lost

everything; loss of self respect, crippling debt and suicidal tendencies drew me into a spiral of depression.

I spent most of the year on my couch, doing nothing but staring at the wall, and driving my partner insane.

During one particularly bad night of insomnia, what should pop up on my social media page? An online poetry group!

Out of sheer boredom I clicked the link, that was it! I joined and I was hooked. Over the next few months I used the

poetry groups to vent and express my emotions, and a catharsis of sorts. After a particular harsh period,

and a suicide attempt later, I voluntarily booked myself into a psych ward, and remained there for a week. On the meds, and with the incredible support of so many around the world,

I started exploring my newfound passion for writing,

and soon became well known on many global poetry online groups.