Care home resident pens poetry to fight fears

Sheila Hutton, who has lived at Cherry Trees in Kimberworth Park home for the past 20 months, began writing poetry in the 1970s, during a time when she struggled with agoraphobia – a fear of going out in public.

The 87-year-old used this month's World Poetry Day event as inspiration to share her personal story of how she used words to conquer the phobia.

The poem includes verses such as “When someone mentions an outing, my legs start to shake/My head begins thumping and my heart starts to ache/My hands start to sweat, my throat turns dry / To stop this happening, I have truly tried,” and ends with the touching lines “It’s hard putting your feelings down in rhyme, I’m sure I’ll get better with God’s help and time.”

Sheila, mum to two daughters, said: “Poetry deserves greater recognition for its ability to explore a wide range of emotions and experiences.”

Apart from writing poems, Sheila enjoys spending time with her friends, baking, knitting and leading the pen pal club at Cherry Trees Care Home.

The facility is part of the Orchard Care Homes group, which operates 23 care homes in the Midlands and the North of England.

A spokesperson for Cherry Trees, which offers residential care, residential dementia care and short-term respite care, said: “Thankfully, Sheila was able to overcome her fear, and she credits writing down her emotions as a vital part of her recovery.”