▁He ▁was ▁a ▁gift ed ▁math ematic ian ▁and , ▁briefly , ▁a ▁professional ▁rugby ▁league ▁footballer . ▁He ▁then ▁became ▁a ▁school te acher ; ▁but ▁soon ▁abandoned ▁this ▁for ▁a ▁literary ▁career , ▁at ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁un success ful . ▁After ▁living ▁from ▁hand ▁to ▁mouth ▁for ▁some ▁years , ▁he ▁died ▁of ▁a ▁rare ▁heart ▁disease . ▁As ▁a ▁poet ▁he ▁first ▁came ▁to ▁attention ▁through ▁X ▁( mag azine ) ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁X ' s ▁edit ors , ▁Patrick ▁Swift , ▁who ▁first ▁put ▁him ▁up ▁- ▁or ▁as ▁David ▁Wright ▁says , ▁' put ▁up ▁with ▁him ' ▁- ▁in ▁London . ▁Wright ▁am using ly ▁goes ▁on ▁to ▁recall : ▁" More ▁than ▁once ▁Swift ▁and ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁sit ▁on ▁his ▁head ▁to ▁stop ▁him ▁writing ▁fur ious ▁letters ▁full ▁of ▁impossible ▁pec uni ary ▁dem ands ▁to ▁wh iche ver ▁was ▁the ▁un fortun ate ▁publish er ▁of ▁the ▁moment . ▁H igg ins ▁would ▁say , ▁with ▁im pen et rable ▁logic : ▁' Look , ▁it ' s ▁going ▁to ▁cost ▁them ▁£ 5 0 0 ▁to ▁publish ▁these ▁rub b ish y ▁po ems . ▁Why ▁don ' t ▁they ▁give ▁me ▁the ▁£ 5 0 0 ▁and ▁not ▁publish ?' ▁" ▁ ▁Martin ▁Se ym our - Smith ▁says ▁that ▁" in ▁some ▁twenty ▁po ems , ▁including ▁‘ S now ▁and ▁Po etry ’ ▁and ▁‘ A ▁S light ▁Une ase ’ , ▁he ▁achieved