WORDS DON’T COME EASY

When I began this community column, Joseph Mcaloon would send in his poems along with many other readers, except my new regular correspondent seemed moved to write a new verse on an almost weekly basis.

I began to feel guilty about not being able to print them, especially as by now they’d fill several volumes.

When I found out more about Joseph, I realised he wrote poetry to help him cope with isolation. Only Joseph’s isolation began long before lockdown, it started when he had his first stroke aged 17 and was left with mental health disabilities that stole his future.

After a second stroke, Joseph, now 62, was diagnosed with aphasia, which affects a person’s ability to communicate. Someone with this condition could get on a bus, for example, but not be able to tell the driver where they want to go.

Even filling out basic forms is beyond many people with aphasia, so it is a tribute to Joseph’s determination to be heard that he has found a way to speak through poetry.

Joseph says: “I live in older people’s accommodation in Exeter where all the residents live independently. I attended singing and creative arts groups with the Living with Aphasia charity, and it changed my life. I did not need to keep apologising if I got mixed up, and being with other members helped me understand the different effects aphasia has on people. This is best described as inclusion.

“When my mental health issues tried to drag me down, I was able to speak to other people. But since lockdown, I’ve been lonely and the days are long.”

We live in a time that understands mental health better than ever, but the longer this lockdown lasts, the longer people like Joseph suffer their mental isolation alone.