Bereaved poet publishes touching tribute to husband

A Montrose poet’s tribute to her husband is raising money for a good cause.

Fiona Walker’s After Diagnosis is included in a new volume of the House of Three magazine. It is available at Huckleberry, Murray Street, with £2 from each sale going to the British Lung Foundation (BLF).

Fiona’s husband, the Rev David Thomson, died from a rare lung disease in August 2016 and the poem charts his battle with the illness.

Fiona said: “These poems are very different from my usual style because they chart the journey through diagnosis, illness and death.

“Although that sounds bleak, I’ve had very positive feedback from people who have read them.

“I’m also pleased that £2 from the £7.99 purchase price will go to BLF when the books are bought at Huckleberry.”

The poetry sequence, which takes its title from the opening poem, won the Carers UK Creative Writing Competition in 2015, and was described by judge Cheryl Moslowitz as managing “somehow to make us envy the ‘we’ in the poem, whose lives are so enriched by being together”.

Fiona added: “There is also an extra poem which took third prize in this year’s Carers UK competition, included on a bookmark which features my photo, which was highly commended in their photography competition.”

Mr Thomson, originally from South Africa, was minister at Montrose Methodist Church. Since his death more than £4,000 has been raised for the BLF through the fundraising page david. thomson.muchloved.com.

The latest House of Three also features the work of Jane Yolen and Lynn Davidson and was released earlier this month.

Fiona Walker with late husband, the Rev David Thompson.