A short engaging volume of humorous and original poetry. Runaways blends the absurd with the wisdom of aphorisms. Richard Maitland has been interested in poetry and song lyrics since his teens but whilst baby-sitting two cats and four kittens for six weeks in the summer of 2013 his ordered life became chaotic. He contrived to capture his confusion in a poem 'On Caring for Two Cats and Four Kittens for Six Weeks' and he recalls how, with his imagination fired, the poems came fast like children running into their father's arms and crowded into his head until he finally listened to their pleadings and made them a little home. That why he called that home: 'Runaways'.

Author Biography

Richard Maitland was born on Tyneside and read Sociology at Durham University. He is married and worked as a teacher for 35 years before retiring. He now lives in the Scottish Borders and enjoys walking, cycling, and bowling. Since retiring he has concentrated on creative endeavours; writing songs and making music, and generally enjoying life. A great part of this enjoyment is writing poetry. Preferring rhymed poems to free verse, he addresses a wide range of topics both personal and universal. But always with wry humour and awareness of his own, and humanity's transience.