Eviction, jail, divorce ­­­— you name it, Glen Iris has been through it. The 65-year-old uses his life experiences, good and bad, to pen inspirational poetry.

He is sharing some of his work at the Bermuda Literary Festival next month.

“I used to see the bad times in my life as stumbling blocks, but now I see them as stepping stones to growth,” said the author of Wrapped in God’s Love.

“In the first line of my book I wrote that I have been locked up over 100 times, in every jail in Bermuda. You name it, I’ve been locked up for it.

“One of my readers said, ‘You can’t possibly expect the book to be successful with an opening line like that?’ He was wrong.”

Mr Iris has read — and sung — his poetry at churches and schools since it was published in 1995. He also often gives impromptu performances in front of supermarkets and landmarks.

He started calling himself a “poet priest” last year, after he played a minister in Dale Butler’s production, Climbing Jacob’s Ladder.

“If I can inspire just one reader, then putting my life out there is worth it,” the poet said. “I don’t perform for entertainment; I do it to minister.”

He had a traumatic childhood.

“My mother left me at a local orphanage when I was about 7 and didn’t come back,” he said. “She loved to drink and ended up in St Brendan’s.

“I don’t want to say what orphanage it was. At that young age I was required to take care of much younger children and babies.

“There were a lot of rules to follow and a lot of spankings. I had a hard time concentrating in school because my tasks at the orphanage, and all the rules, tended to dominate my thoughts.”

He was 12 when he heard his first poetry, the words of King David in the Bible.

“He was a poet priest,” Mr Iris said. “I remember being that young and feeling that there was a higher power out there. I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart at that time, however, it didn’t stop me from going to jail later on.”

It was in prison that he was introduced to the work of the late Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibran, best known as the author of The Prophet.

Mr Iris was so inspired that he started writing poetry and songs, even though he struggled with writing and spelling in school.

“It’s been over 30 years since I was in jail,” he said. “The last time I came out of jail my daughter said to me, ‘If you end up back in jail I am going to put my foot so far up your backside’.

“At that point in my life I finally learnt to appreciate my freedom. I have been married three times. I have three sons and several adopted daughters.

“I have a relationship with them now, but at one point I was not allowed to see my children. That was very painful.”

Because he had such a hard time staying on the straight and narrow himself, he is able to empathise with people who go to prison.

“I have a lot of sympathy for the young men who are incarcerated,” he said. “When you come out people don’t want to hire you because you have a criminal record.

“Relationships break up because people gossip about you. I have had to do many jobs, such as painting, for much less than they are worth, just to have a job.

“My greatest accomplishment is having been able to [write poetry] for the length of time I have been doing it. I started writing poetry in the 1970s. I feel like my work has helped to turn other people’s lives around.”

His firm message for young people is to hang in there.

“A lot of people can’t believe I have been through what I have been through,” he said. “I have been to hell and back.

“But it shines a light on the fact that you can make it if you try. I’m not saying I have conquered all my demons, but my message to young people is under no circumstances are you to give up!”

Mr Iris is working on his next book of poetry.

He and other poets will read their work as part of the Bermuda Literary Festival in the BIU building on Union Street on February 6 from 6pm to 9pm. There will be music by Keith Lee and a light supper. Tickets, $25, are available from the Music Box, at the door and from Dale Butler — 505-3409 or dalebutler@gmail.com