The driving force of this book is the author's lifelong fascination with human nature. Forty years in the law brought him into contact with a broader cross-section of society than most people would normally experience, or even wish to, and it is their strengths and weaknesses, values and doubts that shaped these poems. The majority of these poems were written well into the author's retirement. As we know, the ageing process involves a shift in values, priorities and challenges. He faces these head on: dementia, faith, physical decline, even falling in love. Nothing is spared. A word of caution. Many of the poems are simple and straightforward.

And why not? Poetry is for everyone. Some appear simple and straightforward but have a twist or secondary current below the surface. Look out for them. In others the author sets out his views and throws down a gauntlet. In doing so he commits the cardinal sin of the modern age: he asks us to think.