Poetry in Tenerife - Pat the poet aka Patricia Farnsworth-Simpson - an exclusive interview
Introduction to Pat the Poet
Tenerife Islander decided to conduct an interview with local poetess and writer Pat the Poet and here it is:
Please introduce yourself to my readers.
I was born in a small mining village in Derbyshire UK . I am very proud to say I was born a coalminer's daughter the only girl with six brothers, I became a coalminer's wife and a coalminer's Mother, but then with pit closures I never did come to be a grandmother to a miner breaking the tradition, but even so I have seen and lived life from the raw grit of having to shovel through dirt daily to make a living through to the wonderful relaxing beauty of being carefree laying on a gorgeous beach...in my favourite place on Earth which is Puerto De La Cruz, and having been all round the world I can truly say that is why I have owned a property there for over 30 years...
After the loss of my first husband through illness at a very young age I then married my school friend and my lifetime mate Tony Simpson... our Golden Wedding Celebrations were held at Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife...
We had a party for 50 guests including many of my family that flew over to join us...
My eldest son Robert and two daughters Jeannette (The renowned psychic Jeannette DuPont) and Deborah Houlding (Acclaimed Astrologer at skyscriptco.uk) my youngest .
Between them I now have eleven gorgeous grandchildren and six great-grandchildren at last count...
Pat the Poet
Inspiration for Writing Poetry
When did you first start writing poetry?
The first poem I wrote was done at the suggestion on my Canarian friend Mr.Hemelo Lopez-Dorta (A professor at La Laguna University) when I once asked him how I could thank him and all our other friends for their great hospitality and friendship, his reply was put it in words Pat write a poem ..
So I did and it was titled:
"The Friendship Tree"
(Dedicated to Fafine, Hermelo y Esther, Paco y Yvonne, Tony Y Trini,
Manolo y Montse and all our other friends that joined us on our walks)
We met in the woods of Tenerife
One January day in the rain
As our spirits rose we set a seed
Of friendship we vowed would remain.
This seed though set on a Winter's Day
In the damp and cold
Warmed with the joy of friendship
And its roots grew strong and bold.
Language it was no barrier
Though from distant lands we came
Our shared laughter and experience
Made us realise we're just the same.
And now this loving friendship
Is strong and steadfast like a tree
Spreading branches far and wide
For all the world to see.
And though the wind may blow a seed
Far away to a distant shore
We will keep it warm and watered
Till we return once more.
This poem I then later entered in an International poetry competition and it won me the coverted "Silver Bowl Award"... which then led to a publisher contacting me about putting it in a book , They did publishing my first book titled "There's Something in the Parlour"
so I truly do owe my start in writing to my great Canarian friend "Hermelo"
Then I turned to writing poetry more seriously when I found it gave me something I could focus on when facing a very serious worry in life ...and yes it did help me carry the cross that I felt I was carrying ... At first it was all prayers to the Lord … then all about my childhood any thing to keep my mind occupied …until I was writing “Thanks” to the Lord ….. and so then loving it I continued to write, After getting my first couple of books published my daughter, who was a website developer at the time, taught me the ropes and so that I could self publish a book titled Children in Need for the charity, this I did full of mine and other donated poetry from all my world-wide Poet friends ...
I was so happy with the outcome of this book that I then did one simular titled Save The Children ... I then carried on publishing and designing all my own books and then those of my friends
Now I am the Passionately Fair Publisher at apfpublisher.com
Pat the Poet's book covers
All APF Publisher's Books / Covers to Date_0001.wmv
Inspiration and Tenerife
What inspires you?
Love, life, social issues, the need to share and express that we are all and should all be as one, helping others and the great enjoyment I get when I finish a book for another and they beam with happiness at the creation and my cover design...
Please say a bit about Tenerife.
Arriving late at night from the UK on a very cold December day, I awake next morning looked out the hotel window and I was amazed at all the beauty I saw.
The sun beaming brightly in the lovely Tenerife azure sky, the wonderful sights of the banana plantsations and palm trees and the flowers ... oh! The flowers with their rainbow of colors continually blooming and growingt....the the sparkling blue waters ... 'Truly a vision of Heaven on Earth'
It so astounded me that with just a four hour flight I had come out of the snowing cold depths of England to this paradise in the sun... I came every winter after that
Then when we moved from Mansfield in the UK to Scarborough where we had bought a family Hotel we had it made ... working hard 7 x 24 for six months then like a swallow we wintered in Tenerife... I love the Canarian people and over the years I made many wonderful good friends... I am so happy and at home with them all in the wonderful Anatolia block of apartments where I live. At one time when younger I went walking with a very prominent group of Canarian people every Saturday when we would meet at 10 am. then go walking on the mountain (They took my husband Tony and everywhere explaining all the Island's History and plant life etc as we walked....then we would all finish the evening together in the Canarian restaurant to arrive back home around 10 pm feeling shattered but oh! so happy and content ... now sadly with age and loss catching up with many members of the group, our full mountain walking days are over .... but our bonded love and friendship is still very, very strong...
Poetry team
The Writers & Poetry Alliance
How would you describe your poetry website?
My website "The Writers & Poetry Alliance" was a golden wedding gift of two years ago created for me by my family,
This gift like a plant of love is growing and blooming, having Poets and writer members from world wide ... it is a private website where
Writers can freely and safely post their words to get an editting review from their peers ...
thus finding out another's response to what they have to say helping them to reach too if needed perfection ready for publishing....
I named it Alliance because that is just what the website is ...an Alliance of like minded people where all are equal ...
though I do have a wonderful caring admin team that are always there to voluntary help any member with a need and with the running the site ...
In our Alliance we welcome and embrace all in a very friendly, proffessionally caring way...
Now I this site along with all the books I have published I hope will become a lasting legacy from me. to all future lovers of the written word...
Poems by Pat the Poet
The jewel of the Canary Isles,
Enriched with people full of smiles,
Natural beauty in abundance seen,
Everywhere in plants so green,
Red, yellow, Blue, Orange too,
In blooming glory all year through,
Freedom to walk unafraid and be,
Enjoying the sunshine rhuematic free!
THE ISLAND OF TENERIFE
Tenerife is wonderful,
Beautiful and grand,
Where everyone is seen,
Walking hand in hand!
Old couples too,
Are seen to kiss,
To prove showing affection
Leads to bliss!
***^V^***
Tenerife Island,
Is the Canaries pearl,
Where turquoise Atlantic Ocean,
Waters swirl!
Palm trees and banana plants
Vastly grow green
Among colourful flowers
To dominate the scene,
Tenerife looks like
A one breasted lady,
With her protruding Volcano,
That we call Teide!
Lying on her back
With her nipple in the sky,
Her belly is the valleys,
People love to pass by!
Like a mother that feeds,
She does so proud,
By collecting fresh water,
From amassing cloud!
Yes! Tenerife is truly,
An island of love,
A little bit of paradise,
Like Heaven above!
***^V^***^V^***^V^***
Pat the Poet's links
Anything else you would like to say or promote?
Though the actual poetry and publishing website is a closed members only club, I do have a public website too for all to view and see some of the great members we have and read just what the Alliance is about...and the you tube videos I have created at these links:
http://thewritersandpoetryalliance.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/apfpublisher?feature=mhsn
http://www.apfpublisher.com
