the way things are

Paul Klee spoke of, 'taking a line for a walk' when drawing. In my case it is the drawings that have led whilst I followed to see where they were going; and so one drawing suggested, and led to, another until a story, and for me meaning, emerged. The 'poems' were written independently of the drawings when I was a long way from home, wherever that is. The drawings are made primarily in ink and in my other life I'm an Applied artist working in metal, most often as a silversmith, but at one time or another a jeweller and also in foundries.

The title came from reading about Steinbeck's search for a title for, 'of mice and men', which in turn came from Robert Burns', 'Wee timorous beasties.' Another rejected title of his was, 'Something happened,' and these, and the story, struck a chord with me when reading it whilst putting the drawings together for the book.