Verse with a quirk

July 4 , 2004

Adam James speaks to Carol Batton, described as the poet laureate of the mental health "survivors'" movement.

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There's no one quite like Carol Batton.

The bubbly 52-year-old is the unheralded superstar of street poetry. Some say she's the poet laureate of the mental health "survivors'" movement.

As chatty as Ruby Wax, sometimes as daft as Norman Wisdom, and with infective wit and intelligence, Batton has penned her verse for 20 years.

Batton, who lives in Manchester, is well known within the city's poetry circles. Manchester's City Life magazine describes her as a "genius"; to poet Lemn Sissay she is quite simply "brilliant".

But Batton has just one collection of published work to her name. Most of her poems are on photocopied pieces of paper which she hands out to everyone she meets at political, Quaker, ecological, and mental health meeting and conferences she attends around Manchester.

Batton is no insular poet. She freely distributes her poetry in the trendy wine bars of Manchester. She's ebullient with a wild spirit. An entertainer. As I said, there really is no one quite like Carol Batton.

Her poetry is also unique - three to 20 liners of quirky observations on the big things in life - nature, misery, joy, war, peace. And, of course, psychiatry and mental health.

Batton, who is diagnosed with manic depression, first got to see the inside of a psychiatric ward in 1971 when she was admitted to Cheadle Royal Hospital, Greater Manchester, for three weeks observation.

"I was always active and fast and my father thought psychiatry could help," is how Batton remembers it.

In 1983 Batton was admitted to North Manchester General Hospital, and prescribed Lithium which she has been taking ever since. But she says Lithium has made suicidal.

That's one of the things about Batton. Perhaps she is one of those talented, unconformist wordsmiths whose mix of flamboyancy, vulnerability and oddness has been defined as mental illness?

Nevertheless, Batton says: "I am an emotional and I do need support. I do need to be able to access people quickly."

However, the last time that Batton attended an appointment with a psychiatrist was 10 years ago. So, is she comfortable to be known as a 'service user'?

"Well, yes I am taking the tablets," she laughs. "I'm mad and proud and loony."

Snippets of Batton:

Mad Logic
I am insane
I talk to other people
People are afraid of me
Because I talk to them
So they medicate me
For talking to people who are paranoid

The Butterfly that flew
It flit by my eyes quite suddenly…
And over the wind and the wall…

Oh why was I looking at other things…
and hardly saw beauty at all

How??
How can I hope for world peace,
When I can't get you to say, 'Hello'
In the streets.

It's only got...
It's only got one side effect
You really must give it a try
It's only got one side effect
It makes you wanna die

Page Fright (£6.95) by Carol Batton is available at www.amazon.co.uk.
View a picture of Carol Batton

This article originally appeared in Open Mind magazine

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Touched and impressed

Comment by: Ian Blackwell, finance advisor, Manchester.
Date: July 10, 2004

"I met Carol on the train on Thurday evening after a bad day. I sat next to her and she started chatting to when I wasn't in the mood to be speaking to anyone.

After a while she left me with some poetry (which I thanked her for) and left the train. I must say I was touched by this and was impressed by the words. This is why I have looked on the web in order to find out more about this lady."

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Touched (x2)

Comment by: Emma Davidson, executive manager, Manchester
Date: May 19, 2006

I met Carol on Thomas Street in Manchester. She touched my heart in ways I have never known, and left me feeling uplifted.

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