'In 1992 I ventured to the Philippines for the first time. Having spent my life sheltered by the comfort, safety and security of our lucky country, I was ill prepared for what was to confront me. I was at first shocked, then deeply moved by the hardship and suffering that the majority of people who live in this country must endure. Subsequent visits only reinforced these images. However, the more time that I spent amongst the people, the more I came to admire their resilience, and the manner in which they faced adversity with a smile, rather than a complaint.
So much did this impress me, that after one of my visits in 1998, I started trying to write poems about my impressions of the country and its people. Some of these poems are recorded in the following pages. (There). I must have caught the poem-writing bug, because I then began to write verse related to my experiences in Australia. (Here)' -- Back cover
