Local Poet Offers Fleet Residents Perfect Verse

For many of us, scribbling down a few rhymes or a cheeky limerick is a pastime we’ve enjoyed at one time or another.

But for Hampshire resident and ex-secretary Jan Jack, the allure of verse has proven to be much more than just a hobby, as she now runs a successful poetry business.

Established around a year ago, Perfect Verse provides bespoke poetry for individuals and businesses, catering to many in the local area and beyond.

“People, writing and comedy are my three real loves in life,” discloses Jan. “Perfect Verse gives me the chance to combine all three of these.”

While based in Basingstoke, Jan’s work has developed a strong following in Fleet. The poet recently joined the local 4Networking group previously covered by Fleet-People, and has put pen to paper for many individuals and businesses within the town.

With many of her rhymes, striking a balance between rib-tickling, risqué humour and genuine emotional impact is the order of the day.

“Some people do get very emotional,” she said. “It’s not always easy to express yourself in the way that you want to.

“I had a gentleman come to me and say, ‘my wife doesn’t think I love her.’ So we spoke for a while and figured out a verse that managed to be funny and touching at the same time. That sums up a lot of what I do.”

Alongside the more personal pieces, Jan also provides ‘verse marketing’ for companies, as a means of getting their message across to audiences in a snappy and memorable way.

After working as a secretary for years, Jan’s journey to wordsmith has been something of a rollercoaster ride, and will no doubt inspire many who dream of jacking in the day job in favour of doing ‘something creative’.

“At school I was an underachiever,” she continues.

“Even as a secretary I used to get bored and write naughty notes- I’d leave them in the loo so people could read them!”

After attending a script writing course, Jan was encouraged to try her hand at stand-up comedy. From there, she went on to run her own comedy club in Basingstoke, at which point Perfect Verse took shape.

"I’ve always been a creative person, and I’ve always written poetry. I'm just happy I can make a living out of it!" she concludes.

For more information about Jan Jack and her Perfect Verse, visit her website here.