The poet inspired by her disease

By Jo Manning
BBC Wales News website

Glenda Vibert was an English teacher at a Penarth school for 26 years

As a magistrate and a deputy head teacher, Glenda Vibert has faced many tough challenges throughout her life.

But the toughest came when three years into retirement when she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

The progressive degenerative and incurable neurological disease for which affects her mobility and balance.

However it has not stopped her being creative and Mrs Vibert, from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, and her husband have launched their poetry anthology, Oops!

The collection features humorous, philosophical and poignant takes on her condition and Mrs Vibert said she had plenty more to come with at least three volumes of poems and short stories filed away.

Writing has helped her to maintain control over her own life, she said.

"I cannot control this damn thing but at least I can still write," she said of Parkinson's, which affects 120,000 people in the UK.

Limbs that won't obey you, words that will not come, fear that love will leave you, leave you to the dark Extract from Parkinson's, by Glenda Vibert

"It is a way of exercising my feelings and my mind. I have always written bits of things before, but when I was working I didn't have much time to put it all together.

"I fall over a lot which is why the book is called Oops! There's also one poem called Taking My Food For A Walk because I cannot control the twitches and food and drink can go everywhere.

"It can be very embarrassing and frustrating. I cannot control my life any more and I resent it bitterly. But our friends are very helpful."

Mrs Vibert taught at Stanwell Comprehensive School in Penarth for 26 years, and the book is illustrated with paintings by her husband David, a former art teacher, and now her carer.

"The disease takes over your life," said Mr Vibert. "As a doctor once said to us, you don't die from it but it ruins your life.

"You just have to adapt and I don't mind being her carer. If I had Parkinson's disease she would look after me.

Hickory, dickory dock, I can't put on my sock, my socks fall down, I can't even frown, hickery dickery dock From Ruthless Parkinson Rhymes, by Glenda Vibert

"I think the book has a good balance of hope and philosophy. There's some sadness there but it's also ruthlessly funny," he added.

Proceeds from sales of the book will go to Parkinson's and motor neurone disease charities, the latter being important to Mrs Vibert because her sister-in-law Edwyna Vibert Wilson died in February after battling with motor neurone disease.

The book is dedicated to her although the couple both wished she could have seen the finished anthology before she died.

Mr Vibert said: "She did see a few of the poems and I think she identified with a few of them, like Reflection, in which Glenda describes looking in the mirror and seeing a stranger looking back at her."