During lockdown people got up to all kinds of odd antics. This octogenarian from Edinburgh found himself irresistibly drawn into writing humorous verses. This diversion developed rapidly into what could only be described as a kind of ‘rhymer’s eurhythmics’. Humorous poems of all shapes and sizes appeared almost daily. They leapfrogged in topic from Midgies to Boris Johnston, an urban falconer to a gender PC, a ripe Brie to the House of Lords, a gamester to ancient schoolmasters. The outcome of all this is The Urban Falconer, a collection of humorous poems full of wackiness and charm, written in a distinctive narrative voice and from a singular perspective. They are amusing, appealing and even thought provoking. A wonderful relief from feelings of present day glumness for readers of all kinds - even those who ‘never read poetry’.
