Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 21

Robbie’s Inspiration – Poetry Book Review: Shh, Purely Poetry by M.J. Mallon #poetrycommuntiy #book review

What Amazon says

A compilation of sensual, love and relationship poems. Quirky, unusual and evocative.

Shh, Purely Poetry is a collection of poetic pieces about love, sensuality and relationships with sections entitled: love as fuel, (food and coffee love,) the summer and winter of love, strangers in love, quirky aspects and nature as sensuality.

Inspired in part by daily prompt poems written for the 365poetrypromptchallenge, observations of places, people and my travels.

Early Reviews
A beautiful collection of sensual poetry based on love and relationships of all kinds. As many of these pieces come from word prompts, it’s interesting to see these different voices/narratives come to life. There are some observers, some voyeurs, some sapphic, some with varying innuendos, some in mourning for lost love and some enthralled in a new beginning. I enjoyed the use of rhyming schemes in poems such as ‘Gotta stick together ladies’, the alliteration in ‘Blooms of Blossoming Bliss’ and repetition in ‘War Talk’. The imagery throughout is wonderfully conveyed and makes each poem vividly its own tale. A unique and thoughtful collection that easily connects to a reader, and I would thoroughly recommend! (I also enjoyed the ‘Blackpool Funny Girls Drag Show’ as I attended the afterparty of The Book Party and the conga was brilliant!!!) Review Quote Amy B Garratt.

A loving collection of poetry that delicately weaves in relationships at many stages. Many are sensual, full of texture and images, and some offer unique takes on human interaction. Here are a few beautiful passages: “The Sweetness/The longing/Each kiss deeper/different and the same/Like I belonged to more than him/Like I belonged to the poetry.”؅—Dining on Poetry, “…beautiful calligraphy to highlight/tiny ink splodges to add character/tear drops to remind me of sad days.”—Love Hidden In the Margin, and “She is fair and I am dark/Slight and I am robust/We fill our together/completing our silhouettes.”—Silhouettes. “Shh, Purely Poetry” is meant to be savored more than once by lovers of sensuous and thoughtful poems. Review Quote D. L. Finn

A beautiful and loving collection of poetry that discusses love and relationships of all kinds. It’s fun, sensual, full of imagery and very unique. This collection of poems contains many pieces that are derived from word prompts, so it was really interesting to explore all the different narratives that were weaved throughout. I believe this is a collection of poetry that is super sweet and meant to be savoured (see what i did there? )
My personal favourite from this collection was “The Universe is Ours” Review Quote Book Sirens

M J’s compelling poems celebrate the colour of sensuality, the power of love, the sweetness of desire, and the four seasons of romantic relationships.
Vivid imagery and evocative language capture the essence of sensuality, while awakening the senses and igniting the imagination – the partner’s body is often explored like a treasure map, with descriptions of carnal beauty and the pleasure of touch, celebrating the irresistible pulchritude of the human body and the joy of physical connection:

“I can still feel her lips on mine
Salty like the caramel snack
That she turned down for peanuts.
My hands caress her breasts
They sit up pert. Asking – no begging to be touched.”
~ fragment from ‘Valentine’s In Chocolates’ Review Quote Book Sirens

My review

I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.

This is a delightful and entertaining collection of poems that all revolve around romance and love. The poems range from those expressing the most tender of emotions to those that are what my mother would term ‘saucy’. All of them will grab hold of your heart and give it a squeeze. All are relatable.

A few extracts of the poems that stand out in my mind from this collection and demonstrate the range of the poems:

“You wore a tangerine dress the day I met you
On the beach we sat on the sand
Your citrine necklace completed you
You positively shone like the sun”
From Tangerine Dress

“We met again, a second chance to see that …
twinkle beyond his eyes.
He had a wicked sense of humour.
Stripping down to his boxer shorts.
He catwalked for me, strutting his think.
We ended up in a tangle of limbs.
Me untangling his boxer shorts!
From my Boxer Boy

This poem really moved me a lot:
“Listen, please! In silence, his desperation drips.

Like a leaky faucet needing repairs.

And yet. There is something about him.
A strangely erotic quality.
That draws my eyes towards him.
But – he has one tiny, immense flaw.”

This is a wonderful collection that will take you down your own romantic memory lane with its magnificent highs and terrific lows.

Purchase Shh, Purely Poetry by M.J. Mallon from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D12C3329

And, from Amazon UK here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shh-Purely-Poetry-Sensual-Relationship-ebook/dp/B0D12C3329

Robbie’s Inspiration – Book Review: Petals of Haiku: An Anthology #poetry #readingcommunity #Petals of Haiku

I was very excited to learn that four of my haiku would appear in this collection edited and compiled by Gabriela Marie Milton of Literary Revelations. This delightful book of haiku by 160 international poets most certainly did not disappoint and I am proud to have been a tiny part of its whole.

What Amazon says

Literary Revelations invites you to immerse yourself in the captivating world of “Petals of Haiku: An Anthology.” This superb collection features the work of over 160 talented poets. The art on the cover by award-winning painter Hikari sets the tone for what awaits inside – a world where words dance off the page and into your heart. The background photo by award-winning Japanese photographer Naoki Kimura adds another layer of beauty to this already exquisite collection.

Petals of Haiku is not just an anthology that Literary Revelations is proud to publish. It’s a masterpiece that encapsulates the essence of haiku poetry. The spectacular haiku writers featured in this collection bring to life the delicacy of seasons and the profound range of human emotions, from joy to grief, in a way that is both delightful and deeply moving.

My review

Petals of Haiku is a gorgeous collection of haikus by 160 poets from all over the world. Due to its multiculturalism, the reader gets a brief glimpse into the changing seasons and poetic interpretations of the theme in a wide variety of different ways. All of the haikus are beautiful and this book is the equivalent of taking a walk through an enchanted word garden.

Every sense is appeased by the poetry in the book. The very first poem, by Andrew Collins, is as follows:
“golden syrup sun
dripping over toasted fields
grass butter melting”
Magnificent!

Some of the poems arouse a feeling of subtle heartache at nature’s overwhelming beauty. One such poem is by Melissa Lemay:
“early morning drive
puffs of white clouds mirror
peach blossom teardrops”

Sandy Lender writes:
“wrinkled neck stretched smooth
towards sky warmth, feet scoop-shape
turtle sun ballet”

Other poems demonstrate the writer’s reaction to a floral wonderland.
Lauren Scott’s poem:
“she relaxes on
silky red petals, my muse
and her nuances”

D. Wallace Peach’s fantasy:
“petal-thin eyelids
a child’s moon-faced innocence
crafted of stardust”

The five poems are a sliver of the poetic delights encase in an incredible detailed and vivid cover created by Iuliana Irimia. Congratulations to Literary Revelations on a gem of a collection.

Amazon USA purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D578FJWJ

Gabriela has published some lovely posts about how well this book is doing. It is being displayed in the Treasure House of the Rinsenji Temple in Japan which I think is really wonderful.

Petals of Haiku Enters Immortality – The book together with Hikari’s painting of the cover will be displayed in the Treasure House of the Rinsenji Temple, Japan

This is my favourite of my own haiku in this collection:

fiery red blossom

vies with purpose opponent

bright floral upstart

Picture caption: My photograph that inspired the haiku. I thought the two trees were amazing. I stopped in a side road and walked down the main road to get this picture.

Robbie’s Inspiration – a song parody for Tanka Tuesday

This song is not what Colleen had in mind for Tanka Tuesday, but this has been my week so here it is …

You can join in Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/06/25/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-40-6-25-24-part-ii-the-summer-solstice/

Help me, Doctor

It’s seven o’clock on a Saturday

I’m at Mill Park ER again

There’s a sad old lady sitting next to me

Her smile is a death head’s grin

She says: “I could really use a hot coffee

My son’s in trauma, the outcome unknown.”

The steam wafts up as I listen to her story

Between answering calls on my phone

***

La, la-la, di-dee-da

La-la, di-dee-da da-dum

***

“Help me, please, doctor, please help me

For pain relief I implore

I need something, and I need it quickly

I can’t take the pain anymore.”

***

A young boy plays games while he’s waiting

His brother arrived some time ago

His mother pops in to comfort him

Time moves so incredibly slow

“Mom, when we will be able to leave here?

My phone battery will soon go dead.”

“Your brother must first see the neurologist”

Anxiety pulls on her shoulders like lead

***

Oh, la, la-la, di-dee-da

La-la,di-dee-da da-dum

***

Opposite sits a pretty, young woman

An overnight bag clutched to her chest

She looks small and forlorn, tears ready to fall

“I’m okay,” she smiles, trying her best

The nurses are constantly running

While doctors deal with complexities and gore

They work side-by-side with efficiency

Trying hard good health to restore

***

“Help me, please, doctor, please help me

For pain relief I implore

I need something, and I need it quickly

I can’t take the pain anymore.”

***

The hospital’s busy for a Saturday

There’s not a free chair to be seen

Two helicopters arrive, paramedics keep patients alive

It’s starting to seem like a bad dream

The white noise has my head spinning

The smell of carbolic makes me feel ill

But I sit on my chair, trying to be cool, calm, and there

Until my aunt goes to the ward where it’s still

***

“Help me, please, doctor, please help me

For pain relief I implore

I need something, and I need it quickly

I can’t take the pain anymore.”

It’s been a crazy week of the ICU for five days and now the high observation ward, but we are getting there and my aunt is recovering. She will move to my house for a further week on Wednesday if everything continues to go well.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Repost: A marvellous post created by Resa for Square Peg in a Round Hole #poetry #bookreview #art

A huge thank you to the amazingly creative Resa McConaghy for sharing a splendid review of my latest poetry book, Square Peg in a Round Hole.

Resa is a Costume Designer in film, television & Digital media and has credits with: Showtime, ABC, Disney, CBS, CBC, Hallmark and more. She is also an artist and a lover and promotor of art. Resa promotes nature conservation and designs and creates beautiful gowns from recycled material. You have to see them to believe how gorgeous they are.

You can find Resa’s beautiful gowns here: https://resamcconaghy.com/

You can find Resa’s fantastic posts including her excellent sketches, as well as street art photography, here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/

Square Peg in a Round Hole – by Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – Repost, my poem What shall we do with the feathers? Posted on MasticadoresCanada #poetry #cats

Thank you to J re Crivello from masticadorsCanada for sharing my poem What shall we do with the feathers?

What shall we do with the feathers? By Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday poems and photographs #TankaTuesday #poetry

I meant to post this last night, but I was just too tired. My aunt took a turn for the worse and had to be moved to the high care unit. She was very anxious and started hyperventilating and panicking. It helps if I’m there as a familiar face, so I spent a long time at the hospital yesterday. There is something very exhausting about hospitals, especially the bright lights, beeping machines and intense atmosphere of high care. She was stable when I left.

The first two poems are in response to last week’s TT challenge and the last three are in response to this week’s TT challenge. You can see the other contributions to this week’s challenge here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/06/18/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-39-6-18-24-part-i-the-summer-solstice-june-21-july-6-geshi-%e5%a4%8f%e8%b3/

Winter Walk (99 syllable poem in three stanzas of 5/6/11/6/5 each)

Ground awash with leaves

Crunch, crunch, under my feet

Bundled in inadequate winter clothing

I exercise in loops

Round and round the house

***

Six loops, that’s enough

Wind burns extremities

Stopping at the woodpile, I fill the large crate

With easy-burn kindling

And heavy wood chunks

***

Flames flicker to life

Fire soon roars, twigs crackle

Grate an inferno of blue, red and yellow

People gather to enjoy

Warmth around the fire

Cactus Angels (shadorma 3/5/3/3/7/5)

Winter light

Gives cacti haloes

Angelic

Appearance

Shining with a clear and cold

Icy brilliance

Picture caption: the cactus angels which inspired this poemHorrid June (shadorma 3/5/3/3/7/5)

Horrid June

And her twin, July

Miserable

Frigid pair

Cold backside welcomes freezing

Frontside; no upside

This poem was inspired by a post by Rebecca Budd including a reading of Douglas Malloch’s poem June: https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2024/06/16/s4-e6-june-by-douglas-malloch/

Floral Bird (shadorma 3/5/3/3/7/5)

Red throated

Bird of Paradise

Basking in

Winter sun

Migration a distant dream

For this floral bird

Picture caption: red throated Bird of Paradise flowerDisco dancing (shadorma 3/5/3/3/7/5)

Reflections

Dancing on water

Shimmying

Hip Hoping

With lithe water nymph partners

Winter disco fun

Picture caption: Isn’t this picture amazing. It is of the dam at Emmerentia

Robbie’s Inspiration – W3 112 Haibun #poetry #W3

II. Jude’s prompt guidelinesFORM: HaibunPOETIC DEVICE: Onomatopoeia (3x)THEME: “The Beauty of Night”

According to the Oxford dictionary, onomatopoeia is the ‘formation of a word which describes its sound’. It is a poetic device that adds sound to your poem.

You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/06/19/w3-prompt-112-weave-written-weekly/

My haibun

This haibun isn’t what I planned to write for this challenge. Yesterday, I received a message from my elderly aunt saying she had been to the doctor because of severe pain in her kidneys. The doctor had administered an intravenous antibiotic and painkiller. I told her I’d keep my phone on in case she got worse and needed help. I slept badly and had a very bad dream. I woke up very early with a terrible feeling of trepidation … I’ve had this sort of dream and feeling of anxiety before and it’s always ended with a traumatic medical experience.

Witch Blood

In the cold, darkness of the pre-dawn, magic is at its strongest. Swoosh! Swoosh! I feel my blood moving through my body. Bungolian* blood. Witch blood. Blood tinged with the mythology of the black dog of East Anglia and the ancient ghosts of Bungay Castle. It passes subtle messages through my nervous system. A warning of difficult times ahead. Manifesting in a dream.

Ring! Ring! The sharp call of the phone pulls me out of my state of morbid anxiety. A hangover from the dream. It’s my aunt.

Pant! Pant! She’s in appalling pain. Can barely speak. Dream warning manifests as a trip to the emergency room.

Now I’m waiting …

***

Ring! Dream mist forms shards

”Hello!” Slice into tense mind

Night’s message unveiled

*My family come from Bungay in East Anglia. My mother always tells me the women have a sixth sense due to our witch blood. I don’t take her seriously, of course, but I do always have a bad dream and a feeling of anxiety before something goes wrong.

I spent the whole day today in the Emergency Room at the hospital. I arrived with my prostrate aunt at 8am and left her on the ward in the hands of the nurse at 5pm. She has a chronic kidney infection and stones.

I spent the first 5 hours sitting in the waiting room while the doctor and nurses ran test after test. It was like being at a busy airport. During that period two patients arrived by helicopter and three ambulances arrived. There is a sort of fascination to watching all this activity and organised chaos.

I spent another 2 1/2 hours helping the nurse as she was in great pain and very anxious. I also helped with her move to the ward. The ER nurse asked if I was a nurse. I told him that I’m not but that I have 21 years of practice with ERs and hospitals and nursing sick people at home.

Picture caption: Door from the inside of the ERPicture caption: Helicopter 2 – the patient was an elderly man who’d fallen and broken his hip. He came from a remote farm and the ambulance couldn’t cross the river. I spoke briefly to his daughter in the waiting room. Her wait wasn’t very long as he went to surgery.Picture caption: 2nd ambulance. The patient was a teenage boy who’d fallen and hit his head very badly. I spend a few hours with his young brother in the waiting room while the mother did the necessary with the older boy.Picture caption: Helicopter 1 just after its arrivalPicture caption: Helicopter 1 close up. The patient had a heart attack. His elderly mother accompanied him and she was in quite a state. I got her a coffee and listened to her story. He was admitted and she left for the ward.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog: My June Treasuring Poetry guest is Michelle Ayon Navajas, talented poet and editor of Hotel by Masticadores

Today, I am delighted to introduce talented poet and editor of Hotel by Masticadores, Michelle Ajon Navajas. Michelle shares her thoughts about poetry and I’ve shared my review of her latest book, Locker.

Thank you for being a wonderful guest, Michelle.

Treasuring Poetry – Meet talented poet, author and editor of Hotel by Masticadores, Michelle Ayon Navajas and a review #poetry #poetrycommunity #bookreview

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog: Colleen Chesebro shares a post about And the Grave Awaits

Huge thanks to Colleen Chesebro for sharing this beautiful post about my new collection of paranormal short stories, And the Grave Awaits.

“And, the Grave Awaits,” by Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – W3 #111: Golden Shovel Poem and Winston Churchill’s War Rooms, London #poetry #Churchill #W3

I was selected to chose this week’s prompt and this is it:

II. Robbie’s prompt guidelines

A “golden shovel” poem is a poetic form wherein each word of one line from another poem serves as the end word of each line for a newly constructed poem.

You can read more about golden shovel poems and find some examples here:

https://poets.org/glossary/goldenshovel

For this week’s W3 prompt, chose a quote by any famous or well-known politician, artist, writer, or poet and write a golden shovel poem.Identify your famous person in the post. 

You can join in W3 here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/06/12/w3-prompt-111-weave-written-weekly/

The Best Directions

I am not known for my skills in diplomacy.

In fact, my ability to call a spade a spade is

legendary. I have always found this to be the

best way of remaining true to myself. It’s an art

that many more people should learn. Avoidance of

duplicity of meaning and directness in telling

what needs improvement is my way of helping people

to become the best they can be. If colleagues get to

upset about facing the truth, then they need to go

and get some counselling. To praise mediocrity is to

promote it and make it a way of life. The path to hell

is paved with good intensions. Rather, get in

line to receive proper feedback and advice. It’s such

a good idea to identify areas of weakness. Develop a

plan to improve your performance. Make truth your way

of overcoming obstacles and you will find that

people will trust you and will invest in you. They

will see you as someone who wants to learn. Always ask

for assistance in finding the best way to take things for–

ward. People like others who know how to follow directions.

“Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to help in such a way that they ask for directions.” Winston Churchill

TC and I visited London for 2 days in 2018. We visited Winston Churchill’s War Rooms.

This is what the website says about this museum:

“A branch of the acclaimed Imperial War Museum, the Churchill War Rooms are set in the secret wartime bunker from which the cigar-puffing Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, directed the country’s war efforts. Situated beneath street level in London’s Westminster district, the Cabinet War Rooms were constructed shortly before the outbreak of World War II. Little has changed within them since the war came to a close in 1945, though these days, the underground complex functions as a museum, documenting the workings of the United Kingdom’s wartime government.”

These are a few photographs from that visit: