Marxist. Trade Unionist. Socialist-feminist. Author. Poet. Speaker. Tutor. RMT ex-Exec. Workers' Liberty. Autie. Bi. PUFC fan.

Mental health

Soteria in the Pub

Submitted by Janine on 29 March 2023 at 15:00
Event Date
to

Join us for Soteria in the Pub, our open mic event to raise awareness for compassionate alternatives in mental health, at The Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon (London EC1R 3BL).

Who's The Refuser?

Submitted by Janine on 09 January 2023 at 11:24

Rebecca is a school refuser

The lessons confuse her

Miss knows her sister

is a substance misuser

It doesn't excuse her

She's labelled a shirker,

assigned to an overworked social work

a conflict defuser

But Becky's still a school refuser

 

Mason is a lesson bailer,

afraid of failure

He's looking paler, feeling frailer

Practical Humanistic Models for Supporting Autistic People in Distress: time for a paradigm shift?

Submitted by Janine on 08 August 2021 at 11:08
  • a guest post by Ian Hutchinson, autistic clinician – NHS children’s services, Cornwall 

Thinking about practical humanistic models for supporting autistic people in distress, time for a paradigm shift? 

The Roadmap Ahead

Submitted by Janine on 04 March 2021 at 12:17

What if I can't stand the train
without the carriage to myself?
What if I can't stretch and strain
to reach up to the luggage shelf?

What if all the outside seats
are taken and the queue's too long?
And I don't recognise the streets
and can't see left or right or wrong?

Your Place

Submitted by Janine on 26 June 2020 at 19:50

Last year, I wrote a poem (a pantoum) called 'This Place' about visiting my son in the adolescent psychiatric unit where he spent four months (read it here).

He now has his own flat, living independently with support. So I decided to write a follow-up poem of the same length in the same style, hoping that this will illustrate the wonderful progression.