Published: Thursday, 1st February, 2007 10:11
Poet set to cause a stir
By Tracy-Ann Carmichael
Print Article
A BURGH councillor who writes poetry in his spare time is sure to raise eyebrows with his latest work.
Councillor Eric Thompson has recently unveiled his third book of comic verse ‘Love Songs for the Romantically Challenged’.
The £7.50 volume is due to hit the shelves this week.
Cllr Thompson — who began writing comic verse while serving as a submariner in the Royal Navy — describes his latest work as “totally un-PC and sexist”.
He said: “I really got into it when I was in the navy and was asked to deliver a Burns address.
“I realised that it was mainly for an English audience and so translated Tam O’Shanter into a naval context. I wrote it based on the idea of a drunk commander coming back and seeing all the lights on in the Wrens’ mess.
“I was then asked to write something for the Helensburgh bicentenary celebration.”
In fact, the work which was the subject of that request sparked his first collection of verse ‘Colquhounsville-sur-mer’, followed by his second book ‘Democracy for Birds’.
He also scooped BBC Radio Scotland’s Burns Bicentenary poetry prize for his parody of ‘Ally Shanter’.
Now, Eric turns his hand to tackling the subject of the “average human” who fails to live up to the romantically-inspired visions of great poets.
Works such as Barbie Doll, Notes on a Love Child and Erroneous Nun, are however, sure to upset the politically correct.
The book has been pending for around two years but hit the shelves this week, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Added Eric: “It’s anti-romantic really and all politically incorrect, of course.”
‘Love Songs for the Romantically Challenged’ is available from the Bookworms store on East Clyde Street now.
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