Ramblings

by Helen Aitchison

Age UK North Tyneside is a local charity working in the community to support older people, their families and carers. Their aim is for everyone to be able to love later life.

A collection of reflections on birth, death, and everything in between, Ramblings documents memories, musings, and the magic of life.

112 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2023

Reviews

[Eva Lauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ramblings by Helen Aitchison: I read this book of poems on and off over the months but I felt compelled to read it from beginning to end while I had the luxury of time. Each poem is beautifully written and oftentimes I would reread them if they had struck a nerve. I can’t fault Helen’s ability to reach inside and pull at your heart. Each poem makes me smile, sad and at times evoke feelings of our mortality too. A thoroughly wonderful read by a very talented writer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Bruce Spydar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written personal reflections
While I’m no connoisseur of poetry and rarely read it, I enjoyed two of Helen’s other books so I thought I’d give Ramblings a try.
Just as the title and cover suggest, this collection of poems takes you meandering with your own thoughts as you read the written compositions. With such a personal collection, I discovered an instant connection with some of the poems, but rather less with others. However, as I read along, I frequently found myself being reminded of my grandfather. He also wrote poems about his own experiences of love, loss, despair, and the cycles of life. I feel he would have enjoyed this book too.
Of the 70 or so poems, my favourite might have been Eric. If you follow Helen on Instagram, you may be familiar with this lovable furry feline. It’s a beautiful poem, and a wonderful collection.

[M.A. Quigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her poetry book, Ramblings, Poet Aitchison lets us see a snippet of her musings on life, love, loss, and family. Stand-out poems for me were ‘Hands Around My Heart’, ‘In the Shadows’, ‘The End’, and ‘Treasure’, but they are all good and will have meaning to the reader. I thought ‘Moments’ captures the book's essence – they pass too soon. ‘We must grasp them before they become memories whether happy or sad’. I could relate to many of her poems. The basic premise that shines through is to know we’re wanted and loved, and that someone cares. We all need the connection of smell, sound, or touch that we’re familiar with to feel that life is worth living and that we matter and Aitchison captures this well throughout her poetry.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ramblings is a fantastic collection of poems by Aitchison.

Whether reflecting on her family, her pet cat or the simpler moments in life, Aitchison writes with unbridled passion and the words flow beautifully from the pages.

I couldn't pick one favourite as I found them all to be enjoyable and I will be buying myself a physical copy to add to my poetry collection.

It's also worthy of note that all profits from the book go to @age_uk North Tyneside.

[Caroline Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ramblings is the perfect book for reading on a chilly Sunday afternoon.

A beautiful collection of poetry and prose. Words which are soul food, Helen has an amazing talent at bringing words to life on a page. Such heartfelt thoughts and musings.

Profits from this book go to Age UK North Tyneside. They do amazing work in the community supporting older people and their families.