About me

PROFILE:
I have been writing poetry and stories since I was a child, and a love of reading was instilled in me from an early age. I am passionate about writing, and hope you enjoy the books I have written. Whilst most of you sleep soundly in your beds, like many Parkinson’s patients, insomnia dictates, so during those hours that sleep eludes me, the house is tranquil and quiet, an atmosphere perfect to immerse myself in writing. My life has been a series of strange events, which have without doubt contributed to my creativity. To publish anything is to bear one’s soul to the world. It is to stand naked and let everyone see who you really are. I have poured my heart and soul out on paper and I hope to share this journey, immersing you in a story, capturing your attention and firing the imagination. Through my writing and public speaking I hope to bring greater awareness to the general public about living with chronic disease.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Counting sheep

Here is an excerpt from a poem entitled “ You've got to laugh” taken from my book “Parkinson’s, shaken, not stirred”, which inspired Denis Shifrin, a professional artist and cartoonist to draw a caricature of me counting sheep. Thank you so much Denis for understanding and capturing the humour which gets me through tough times. This caricature appeared in an article about me speaking at The First International Congress of Narrative Medicine and Rare Diseases in Rome earlier this year and was featured in the September edition of the ESRA Magazine. 
(Reprinted with kind courtesy of ESRA MAGAZINE www.esra-magazine.com)

My mind, begins to wander, for concentration, hard to keep,
I write everything, in my diary, and constantly, take a peep.
To make sure, I’ve not forgotten, something, that I had to do,
Was there somewhere, I should have been? I wish I had a clue.
Whilst in conversation, I digress, quite lost I get,
No longer sure, what I wanted to say, seem to forget.
I can no longer read a novel; I quickly lose the plot,
My memory, like a sieve, grey matter seems shot.
I clamber into bed at night, I start counting sheep,
My mind begins to wander, for concentration, hard to keep.

Written by Elaine Benton © 2011


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