Curator

My name is Carlton Steele. I was born and raised in New York and now reside in Virginia. I always knew I had the talent to write but I never knew how to pursue it. Until one day I started writing pooems about the love of God. I knew one day I would have to share it with the world. So I kept writing until I formed a book called Poems of Encouragement. I write poems to encourage and inspire other people. We go thru alot in this world and sometimes you need a word of inspiration. When you are down and out, when you have noone to turn to, God is there to wipe your tears. My poems are encouraging and will help you find your way.

I am an attorney and a business consultant, with a background in unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and corporate communications.

What prompted this book? Mainly meeting a continuous wall of ignorance and apathy in the the National Health Service (NHS) and Social Services when I moved to Nottingham in the UK to access care and support for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a UK Veteran. It was such a contrast from the care and support that was available to me while living in Cornwall. Some of the darkest moments portrayed in this book are a direct result of those experiences.

Veterans require a specialist type of care but they also require consistent professional care. This is something that the NHS in the UK are not geared up to provide simply because they operate on a time limited care model that is also limited by fiscal resources. This means that they will allocate care towards us for a certain time but then the care will be cut off. The implications are that we’ll withdraw further into ourselves, simply because we may not be able to go forward and open up those scars again sometime further down the line in order to access the care and support we need should things get worse. The consequences can be dire for Veterans.

There is also a communication gap between Veterans suffering from PTSD and loved ones. When one has to work in an environment where there is a constant threat of death or serious injury, emotions tend to be locked down and buried. Survival comes down to observation and instant reaction and emotions are a factor that can slow you down. If you’re a family member or a loved one of a Veteran, remember that they still have feelings for you but the feelings aren’t always going to be easy to show, display or talk about. There will be times when everything will seem fine and times when a need for solitude will arise. Be patient and let them do what they need to do. If you’re a carer for someone with PTSD or other disabilities, make sure that you’re seeking some support too.

The shades of grey that exist in human society become black & white on active service. When we come back to the grey of human society we find it hard to fit in. Human society is very materialistic and there is little evidence of honour at all levels. How can you expect men and women that were willing to give up their lives for their comrades to fit into a world where work colleagues won’t tell the truth about an injustice in the workplace for fear of falling out of favour with their bosses?

I hope this sheds some light on a Veteran’s perspective on living with PTSD.

I was born in 1946 – the first year of the Baby Boomers. I lived in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts most of my life – Pittsfield, Richmond and Lenox.

I graduated from the University of Mass in Amherst in 1968 with a BS in Mathematics. I did a two-year stint in the Peace Corps in the Philippines from 1968-1970 teaching high school modern mathematics. I later taught for eleven years and then became a computer programmer/analyst and eventually an MIS Director.

I currently winter in Florida and summer in upstate NY – with my 35 year old African Gray Parrot, Little Pete.

I enjoy playing piano and guitar as well as painting watercolors.

I started writing poetry when I was in my early teens. It has always brought me joy to be able to express my emotions in writing. My poems tend to be quite straightforward. You won’t need a dictionary or an encyclopedia to comprehend them. I like my poems to flow easily and have the reader “experience” what I felt at the time I wrote them. You won’t have to struggle to try to figure out what I am saying.

My allegorical book of poetry “Shaker Lane – Poems Beneath My Feet” was featured on FreeBooksy on January 11, 2013. I feel honored as they hand select the books they choose to feature.

James Anthony Ellis is a writer, producer and filmmaker living in Southern California. His first book, Starting Point; A Guide to Metaphysics, the Golden Time and Love, was initially published in 1989. Other books include Life Traveler, Tears, and Preparing For the Best; A Guide to Earth Changes in 2012. James also offers The Creative Collaborative, a monthly newsletter that announces available writings, upcoming special events and anything he finds pertinent in the moment. To receive a copy of the newsletter or to contact James about the above-mentioned items, see LegacyProductions.org.