I’ve written this poem and dedicate it to all affected by the Manchester bombing. Particularly close to home as my daughter and I were at the Ariana Grande Birmingham concert three days before.

Our hearts are broken

Our sorrow runs deep

For those cruelly taken

We will endlessly weep

An act so senseless

With nothing to gain

Leaving lives shattered

With no end to the pain

The selfish deed of one

We cannot comprehend

Twenty two lives cut short

Brought to a premature end

So what can we do?

Where do we go from here?

Do we cower in the shadows?

And live our lives in fear?

For if that’s what we choose

Then they surely have won

They’ve got what they wanted

And their work is done

The one way to stop them

Is for all to unite

All creeds and all colours

In this global fight

We will all stand together

We will not deviate

We will conquer these demons

With love and not hate