Fulton Verse

Fulton Verse is the self-publishing imprint of Damian Robin for his collections of poems in traditional forms.

Damian Robin

Damian Robin
began to turn out verses in his teens;
was toted in fine rags and magazines.
He copied older styles, did doggerel,
wrote therapy on child abuse as well:
these he kept close-to, behind the scenes.

Later, he bumped into Falun Gong,
found it beautiful but treated wrong.
He gave up poetry to help its cause
then found that communism’s prized-shut jaws
could be opened up with cries in song.

After praise from an English teacher for writing a poem and having poems published in official school and student publications, I looked forward to a life of comforts from writing rhymed and numbered verse.

But it was not to be. I spent a lot of time in the concrete poetry corner of a bookshop. I published in magazines and read at poetry events in Liverpool. My interest in visual word play, concrete poetry, nonsense verse, and ‘meaningless’ verse increased. Then I got a helpful rejection note from a poetry magazine editor — go out and get some experience.

I studied typography, typesetting, printmaking, and bookbinding at the London College of Printing. Still in London, I specialised in book art and artists books at the Royal College of Art and participated in sessions at the National Poetry Society and events related to the British Poetry Revival. Also, I exhibited and performed at events connected to the International Concrete Poetry Festival, and showed at Bookworks.

Eventually, life caught up with me and I got on with it, home educating my 3 now grown-up children, and supporting my wife as best I could.

I continued writing. Traditional forms of rhyme and meter were very helpful in self review. This personal, therapeutic work was never published but greatly benefited me in real life.

This real living has included being a reporter and editor on the Epoch Times (London) newspaper, coordinator on the Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truth, Compassion, Tolerance) International Exhibition, promotion of Shen Yun Performing Arts, and continuing family life.

Recently, I have been writing on subjects more fitting for publication. I am a member of the advisory board of the Society of Classical Poets.