Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Podcast #Poetry – Rain and The Power of Trees by Sally Cronin

Some more poetry and flash fiction from my various collections.

Nature is a fascinating and wonderful addition to our lives from the rain and wind that bow to the power of the sun, to the wisdom of trees.

Sally Cronin – Smorgasbord Blog Magazine · Smorgasbord Poetry – Rain And The Wisdom Of Trees

 

Rain

It can be daunting
to find beauty in the rain
when it drowns the earth

Summer flowers strive
to retain vibrant colours
under such onslaught

Wind joins its cousin
laughing at the destruction
combined efforts bring

Birds sit and shiver
in the glistening hedgerows
desperate to feed

Then a ray of light
as sun fights its way through clouds
it has come to play
The wind and rain pause
waiting for the sun’s next move
in nature’s board game

They admit defeat
no match for the sun’s power
and leave in silence

Birds begin to sing
and flowers lift up their heads
to smile at the world.

The Wisdom of Trees

Trees
ancient
observers
of history
have stories to tell
of man’s time on this earth.
Stored within each leaf and seed
the cellular memories wait
to be discovered by those that ask
for the gift of their infinite wisdom.
From green saplings to the giant redwoods
messages are carried on the winds.
Listen for the rustle of leaves
and the music that they make.
For as long as they sing
the world will be safe
but woe betide
should we cut
them all
down.

©Sally Cronin 2023

One of the reviews for Life is Like a Mosaic

Jacqui Murray VINE VOICE  5.0 out of 5 stars Expect to be challenged by this collection of poems  Reviewed in the United States

In Sally Cronin’s first collection of poetry (I think–she has a lot of fiction collections), Life is Like a Mosaic: Random Fragments in Harmony (2021), be ready for a lilting collection of well-selected words, expertly managed and enhanced by images. Her stated goal:

… to share aspects of life and nature that we experience on a daily basis, but also can sometimes catch us by surprise.

Goal accomplished. The words rely on the images and vice versa–neither is complete without the other. Not only does the message challenge the reader to think deeply but to see beyond what’s on paper.

Some of the fifty+ poems are there just to be enjoyed, to lift your day, but others are to make you think.

…nature takes advantage of the break from progress…

Time can be fleeting or last a lifetime

Some made me think. At first read, I thought I knew what the words meant, even the subliminal message, but on a second read, realized I’d missed the point:

We leave, driven to pass on precious genes, of strength and stamina, humans will need to thrive

Dreams often open pathways, clear of the wakeful detritus, leading our minds in a direction to that sweet spot of perfect clarity.

One of my favorite poems was Skepticism. It touches on politics but not one side or the other. It picked those truths I think everyone believes, hard truths but said so beautifully, instead of anger, I felt sadness.

Politics where truth is scattered on the wind. Media mines dirt from fake news to mislead Agendas wth facts spun to fit planned outcomes Climate change based on flawed research creates wealth Our money works to pay banker’s bonuses Pinch of salt. needed to prevent brain washing.

And my favorite line:

To challenge is to be labelled a nut case.

I had planned to read this slowly, over time, but found I couldn’t stop. Highly recommended for any who have loved Cronin’s other fiction or those who want to be challenged.

Thank you for listening and if you would like to know more about my books and their reviews you can find them on my books page My books and reviews 2023

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Podcast – #Poetry #Flash Fiction – The Visitor and Missing by Sally Cronin

Welcome to my podcast and for the remainder of the year I am sharing a selection of poetry and flash fiction including some Christmas and New Year themed recordings.

The Visitor and Missing.

Sally Cronin – Smorgasbord Blog Magazine · Smorgasbord Poetry And Flash Fiction The Visitor And Missing

 

The Visitor

A
surprise
visitor,
a ringed pigeon
weary and confused
blown off course by high winds
far away from his home loft.
Reassured by the other birds
feeding peacefully in this garden
he rests above on the roof of the house.
Familiar with the sounds of humans
he responds to the voice which calls him
and the shaking of a seed can.
His recovery is slow
but he becomes stronger
until finally
with two circuits
of the house
he heads
home.

 

Missing

Eunice loved her garden gnomes and each birthday her husband would buy her another for the collection. Then one July, her favourite, a right Jack the lad, with a red jacket and green trousers was stolen. She was heartbroken and even put up missing posters to no avail. Then the postcards started arriving from all over Europe. ‘Having great time, see you soon. Love Jack.’ Sure enough one morning in October, Eunice looked out the window to see him back in his usual place. Her husband smirked. ‘I see the students are back after their summer holidays my love!’

©Sally Cronin 2022

Elizabeth Gauffreau 5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Pleasure to Read!

I found Sally Cronin’s Life Is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet (short stories and a sprinkling of poetry) to be a real pleasure to read–not a guilty pleasure but a pleasure to be celebrated and shared with other readers.

I particularly enjoyed how varied the collection is. From the opening story of an Artificial Intelligence nightmare in the grocery store to the closing story of a chance at love for a middle-aged woman always the florist, never the bride, I did not know what to expect next. Several of the stories include paranormal visitations. Cronin handles these visitations in a way that was entirely believable to me and, ultimately, comforting.

The primary themes of the stories are fate, love, loss, and kindness–and when kindness is egregiously lacking, revenge. The sprinkling of poetry focuses on love, family connections, and observations of animals. The standout poem for me was “The Visitor,” about “a ringed pigeon / weary and confused / blown off course by high winds.” How many of us have been there?

The collection even includes a haibun, “The Long Drop,” which takes a situation familiar to those of us who follow true crime shows–but in a brilliant twist adds a haiku. The combination of the microfiction and the haiku made my blood run cold.

The best way I can describe my experience of reading Life Is Like a Bowl of Cherries is that reading each story was like sitting down for a brief respite from the day’s troubles with a really good cup of coffee. When the story was finished, I could go on with my day refreshed–or indulge myself with another story. 

 

Thank you for listening and if you would like to know more about my books and their reviews you can find them on my books page Sally’s Books and Reviews 2022 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Podcast – #Poetry and #Flash – Farewell to Summer and White Washing by Sally Cronin

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some syllabic poetry and 99 word flash fiction from my collection Life’s Rich Tapestry…woven in words

Sally Cronin – Smorgasbord Blog Magazine · Smorgasbord Poetry and 99 Word Flash Fiction Farewell to Summer and White Washing by Sally Cronin

 

Farewell to summer
With
sadness
I utter
the words goodbye
to warm days though brief
that boosted my morale.
The glow that has bronzed my skin
reminds me of the longer days
of a summer that has been too short
though bolstered me for the winter to come.
But, in the interim we have autumn
a welcome season of fruitfulness.
Leaves will turn gold and apples red
with fields stripped of their harvest.
Soon we will give our thanks
for all this bounty
that fill the stores,
giving life
through dark
months.

White Washing by Sally Cronin

One angry brush stroke at a time, the old man painted across the words on his neighbour’s garden gate,

They were a lovely family, who had been kind to him since they been granted asylum three years ago, and moved in next door. Having recently lost his wife he had been lonely, but they invited him in each Sunday for dinner, did his shopping when he was ill and the father often popped around for a chat after work.

The least he could do in return was to white wash over this mean spirited graffiti before they discovered it.

©Sally Cronin 2022

One of the reviews for Life’s Rich Tapestry: Woven in Words

Annika VINE VOICE 5.0 out of 5 stars A rich and enriching read! Highly recommended! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 August 2021

Thank goodness for the blogging challenges that inspired Sally Cronin’s Life’s Rich Tapestry Woven in Words. An enriching and engaging collection of verse, micro fiction and short stories, her work is mesmerising, always uplifting and often humorous. Throughout humanity and the spirits of humans (and some animals) is a beacon of hope for us all.

Sally’s poetry is enticing, thoughtful and soothing; they are written tightly within the framework of syllables for various formats such as haikus and tankas yet explore a vast range of topics encompassing the wonder of the seasons, recognising human frailties and celebrating the warmth of togetherness. She manages to take us on a journey from cave drawings to digital code across the universe, from the mystical of the ugly troll with his bewitching music in The Moonlight Concerto to the enchantment of Fairies!

As a writer, one poem – an ode to writing – particularly struck a chord with me:

The Freedom to write

The freedom
and time to create
written words
to be read
by those open to our thoughts
intoxicating.

Sally Cronin is a master storyteller and I was immediately drawn into the lives of the characters in all her short stories. Her writing flows with ease and self-assurance within this diverse selection of short stories. I was moved by the reunion of siblings, impressed how a story told through the point of view of a polar bear both touched me and touched on environmental issues. The reason for a black sheep was raised in one story and had me smiling as did My Mouse, a clever play on words and a predicament experienced by most of us!

The superb stories in The Underdogs section had me in awe of the strength of the individual personalities of the dogs. Later, in For the Love of Lily, I was cheering on as eighty-year-old Millicent found her courage to stand up to her overbearing son with the help of her cat Lily and her kindly neighbour Eric. This was an excellent depiction of what I hope isn’t a scenario that takes place often.

The final longer pieces in the book are under the title of Speculative Fiction and these are all exceptional and shows Sally Cronin’s incredible imagination and ability in writing across all genres.

A moment of alignment is superlative and left me with goosebumps (of the happy variety!) as a child, following her death, manages to cross from the other world for the briefest of times on certain occasions to talk to her mother. Great Aunt Georgina left me tear-eyed and is a wonderful and powerful story partly told through the use of old letters; a deft use of an evocative writing technique. The Enhancement Project combines the tantalising hint of romance between a surgeon and her patient cyborg, all against the backdrop of the end of civilisation. It is a terrific blend of human and futuristic, of dark and light, love and destruction.

I can’t recommend Life’s Rich Tapestry Woven with Words highly enough and look forward to reading more of Sally Cronin’s books. 

Thank you for listening and if you would like to know more about my books and their reviews you can find them on my books page Sally’s Books and Reviews 2022