If life seems jolly rotten there's something you've forgotten And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing When you're feeling in the dumps don't be silly chumps Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing And always look on the bright side of life Come on, always look on the bright side of life (from the Life of Brian) This is Jans first foray into self-publishing though many of these poems have been read, performed or produced privately over the years to small audiences, often in classrooms, where she was successful in making poetry writing cool! An astute observer of human nature and people lover, she was often motivated to respond to everyday, mundane situations which have presented themselves during her life. Having been on the receiving end of lifes many curve-balls, she has managed to remain resolute and resilient by responding with humour, often self-deprecating, in the poetic form. For Jan, writing poetry was both a cathartic and therapeutic way to expressing certain events by transforming into them little pieces of history that could be remembered and laughed about years later. Hence many of the events are derived from personal experiences and real events, though the names have been changed to avoid offence. Subjects concerning getting older, menopause, losing weight, having naughty children, naughty school students and teenagers are a direct result of having them or dealing with them. Other titles have been inspired by people, particularly Pam Ayres and Roald Dahl where she has attempted to restyle their work with an Australian twist.
