My original publisher Poetry Wales Press/ Seren didn't want to touch it, so John Barnie at 'Planet' published my first book 'Graffiti Narratives', a couple of stories and the rest poetry.
The hand-written poem titles were done by pupils at the school where I taught at the time, Pen-y-dre.
I was especially inspired by West Indian writers like Derek Walcott, black English poet James Berry , the songs of Bob Marley and one particular poem by David Hughes 'Swonzee Boy, See', which appeared in 'Planet' magazine, edited by Barnie.
John and his wife Helle showed enormous faith in this work shunned by many and my latest book 'Sofa Surfin' is dedicated to them. Few mainstream journals took them though, ironically, my two biggest breakthroughs came with them .
Derek Mahon in the 'New Statesman' published 'This Town' inspired by The Specials' hit 'Ghost Town' and then the Independent newspaper published 'Among the Debris' a fictional poem about a teacher who suffered flashbacks as a result of the Aberfan disaster.
Both punk and two-tone music were undoubtedly important to me and the poem 'Nex Time' is prefaced by a quote from Belfast punk band Stiff Little Fingers : it's a young person raging against the police.
After 'Graffiti Narratives' was out a while I met a poet friend in Merthyr and he told me that it was close to getting on the short-list for Wales Book of the Year.
I was so busy then that I didn't realise he was a judge, let alone think about it coming anywhere.
It was stocked in Smith's down town till a member of the very staid local Writers' Circle complained to the manager about the 'language' within and it was withdrawn instantly.
In the 80s I had little time to perform from the book and , anyway, a lot less opportunities existed to do so, therefore I could understand when John Barnie was a little reluctant to publish my second book of dialect work 'Coulda Bin Summin'.
However, he did so and all credit to him.
When I moved to teach in Radyr the writer Meic Stephens joked that I'd start writing in a Radyr accent!
However close the language was to the pupils I taught, it has developed to take in the town as a whole and inevitably, the older generation feature more prominently.
My previous book 'Barkin!' had decidedly mixed reviews yet got short-listed for Wales Book of the Year, while the following one 'Shedding Paper Skin' ( in standard English) received great reviews and not a sniff of prizes.
An English person responded to 'Sofa Surfin' by commenting that it would have limited appeal, yet West Indian and Scots are widely accepted and , ironically, the poems have so far been greeted far more enthusiastically in England than Wales ( with 'Planet' again the exception).
I'm equally grateful to Myrddin ap Dafydd at Carreg Gwalch ( my publisher) for believing in this work.
As I've furthered my learning of Cymraeg, so I've come to understand dialect more clearly.
The importance placed on sound with the use of mutations ( treigladau) also plays an important role in the dialect and its flow. Likewise, Welsh deploys double negatives as does the English dialect, as well as the frequent 'tags' at the end of sentences such as 'see', 'mun' and 'is it'.
Occasionally I pick up on phrases which are direct translations , as in 'I lost the bus' ( meaning 'I missed the bus'), a straight translation from the Welsh ( 'colli'r bws').
At the hub of the book are a series of poems about existing on benefits, many based on the experiences of a very good friend.
I wrote all of these before the release of Ken Loach's film 'I, Daniel Blake', although there are many parallels.
When I mentioned it to that friend he merely said , 'I am Daniel Blake!'
There are also monologues by other characters : a man who chooses to disappear off the edge of the system when his wife gets a job and another who faces the daunting prospect of an assessment for disability allowance.
Even when I've witnessed events they are essentially fictions.
The pigeon in 'A Pijin in Greggs' plays the lead role and went on to feature , as Wayne-O Pijin, in many of my blogs after friend and fellow poet Al Jones suggested it stood for election.
Despite my less than convincing Merthyr accent I love reading these live and inhabiting the characters with their humour and energy.
The following poem is based on a true incident in Merthyr centre the other week ......I only heard the police helicopters!
FAMOUS F DOIN NOTHIN
It woz a quiet Sunday
an ee wuz on is own
angover size of a stadium,
rubbin is nose 'gainst-a windows,
the star of-a CCTV.
Nowhere t go,
is missis didn wanna know -
'I've ad enough o yew,
an anyway, yew're angin!'
All night on-a Bow.
Ee musta fallen in-a doorway
set off some alarm,
coz things jest wen' crazee -
elicopters, cops an sirens ;
ee thought somebuddy ad a gun.
Social media wen loopy -
story of terr'rists shootin
in Tescos, whool shop in lockdown,
gee-addies, ambulance, fire engines
an ee'd c'llapsed by Poundland.
Tol is missis when ee got ome
'Google it...I'm fake news , see....
MAN IN MERTHYR ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY -
I woz famous f doin nothin.'
She sayd, 'Nothin's changed 'en!'