A DEVON man has penned a collection of poems after having been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Paul Dennison’s ‘Humour, Heart and Hope Life in Rhyme’ is a collection of 40 poems.

The subject matter of each poem varies, some touch on the raw realities of living with chronic illness, while others focus on lighter topics such as romance and comedy.

Born and bred in Torquay, Paul, 59, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2018.

Paul spent several years living in Newton Abbot and worked in sales, before the disease forced him to retire.

‘Anxiety took over, words starting falling out of my head’ Paul said.

‘Over a period of time I started writing poems, never written any before

‘I found Parkinson’s really difficult to describe, really hard to tell people what it is like, but I can in rhyme.

‘People who read it, say it resonates with them because it describes how they feel too’ Paul added.

Paul donates fifty percent of the profits from Humour, Heart and Hope Life in Rhyme to Parkinson's UK, a Parkinson's research and support charity.

‘It is in a format that follows my journey, but there are comedic parts to it too’ Paul said.

‘There is an eclectic mix’ Paul added.

And Paul is already working on a follow up.

‘I am up to about poem number 20 in my second book’ Paul said.

‘Humour, Heart and Hope Life in Rhyme’ is available to buy via Amazon.

‘Some people shake, some jerk, jolt, some don't move at all well’ Paul said.

‘It is a very progressive disease, I get lots of night terrors and dementia plays a big part of it’ Paul added.