One of my many blogging friends offered to host a guest post to support the launch of my first book of poetry. When such kind offers come in my first thought is how can I tailor the post to that person’s blog style and tastes while doing what I’m out to do, namely nail the book to the reader’s imagination?

The latest star in my firmament who has kindly agreed to give me space is Rachel Martin, an Kiwi émigré living in Aberdeen and with her husband, two children, recently acquired largely lovely, occasionally psychotic cat and her beloved cargo bike. Rachel loves cycling even in the less than clement Scottish weather and so I needed to consider how I might melt her passion for two wheels with my poetry.

A sonnet, natch, on my life as a cyclist.

From age seven when I learnt to the present day I have loved cycling. My commute to work in the City of London from 1981 till my departure in 2013 was by bike. Occasionally terrifying, most unmemorable but always a pleasure to know I’d avoided the tube, it defined me in some ways. Okay, I perhaps did the MAMIL thing a disservice by wandering round the office in my garish tops and incontinence shorts so beloved of the tenderised nethers of the committed velophile but hey, I was a partner – there had to be some perks.

If you’d like to read more about my journey through cycling to poetry and enjoy a delightful blog, please pop over the Rachel and stay a while. Here’s the link..