Trip down the memory lane - Children's Day contest

Writers often turn to their past for fodder to fuel creative endeavours. Something similar happened with me. I participated in a writing contest announced by Writer's Ezine, an online literary magazine inviting entries for poems for their children's day contest.

I am big fan of the genre and love the way how few words can convey so much. It is with great honour and happiness that I share the news that the entry made its way to the selected list. Here is the link to the website

http://www.writersezine.com/p/childrens-day-contest.html

This is the entry that I am happy to share with you.

Our Last Summer

The child remembers:

The scorching summer holidays, seeking respite

Heading off to the village, for some lovely sights 

Get on a train, journey lasting days,

Arrival at granny’s – our knackered, weather beaten face

The country house yearning, thirsting our footfall

The courtyard, mango grove - magical for city kids all.

Walking to squeals of delight, the walls would scream “welcome”

Start of endless play, with cousins least half a dozen.

Those banyan branches waiting - ready for a sway

Our imaginary horses set for adventures far away.

Clashing with cousins, to decide a game,

When bored of old, make up new, give it a name

The elders busy chatting, talking aloud;

Aunties and uncles, exchanging news - what new what not,

Days fly by, until it was time to go

With our annual sniffling goodbyes in tow,

Promising to be back for more.

A wave of change hits when we come back next

The sun is the same, no warmth in the nest

No squeals of delight, an awkward pause greets us here.

A funny smell permeates the air,

A mix of tension and fear

Hushed whispers of a divide we hear,

Cracks in binds start to appear,

Brimming with nonchalance, we just carry on,

The banyan tree feels threatened when we are gone

With no one to play under it,

Unloved, it will cease to exist.

The family haven, we hear, after we depart

Is to make way for flats – state of the art.

The banyan tree, the source of our rustic delight

Will be the first to go – chopped outright.

This time when we leave, there is no coming back

Packing up memories forever, tight in our bags.

                                    *** 

Now an adult, as though folklore,

I narrate those days of fun, frolic, furthermore

To my kids, a chance visit, where the house of memories stood,

For a glimpse into my stories that, here, grew its roots

The house is gone but the banyan is intact

The flats have altered the place, no question that

Like a torrent, flashing images come to fore

Unleashing nostalgia bottled in mind’s store

Kindred spirits found there, kids shoot off to play,

Reminiscent of my childhood, without any delay

A bystander, I watch them score

Under the same banyan tree, as we did before

Transfixed I am, rooted to the spot

The other children look familiar, but I place them not,

Soon it strikes me, it’s a cousin’s face I see

And turn around, look at him walking towards me,

Recognising, reacting with that familial camaraderie

There is no talk, just a tight wordless hug,

That says a lot more than million words said,

To pry open the lid, sealed tight with years

Of conflict, clashes and many a tear

Now loosened, chastened

That bitter wall, comes crashing apart

And we become those kids again, pure at heart.

Closed Casket - Sophie Hannah

photo courtesy: amazon.co.uk

Hannah brings Poirot back to life.

I love Agatha Christie's work and Suchet's Poirot has been my companion on many a lonely cold evening. Therefore you can imagine a heightened sense of excitement on hearing that Hannah was writing a series based on the favourite detective .

I have read Hannah before and enjoyed some of her books. She has a different style that needs getting used to but once you do, it is a great reading experience.

I loved her Kind of Cruel my latest read of all her books was eager to find out how she handled a detective who has been immortalised into the minds of whodunnit fans.

Gist:

It is a classic Christie style set up. A large house where a murder is committed and there is a list of suspects to choose from. A famous writer calls on Poirot because she suspects threat to her life after she declares changes to her will. Poirot comes down with his friend Catchpool (instead of trusted Hastings) and is right in the middle of action as events unfold.

What works:

• The essence of Poirot is the same. His Mon ami and nest ce pas interjecting his English sentences are a delight to behold.

• The list of suspects is varied and the motives outlined offer it a great layer.

• As usual Hannah draws up complex personalities while retaining Christie like characters like the cook and other usual suspects.

What doesn't:

• Hannah's style is a complex yet intriguing one. The only trouble is that it needs some getting used to. It expects a lot from the reader but it pays to stick with it. So there are bits and parts can get a bit dragging in places. 

Overall a great read. I love Poirot and was so happy to see him resurrected through Hannah's attempt. I will be looking for the other books featuring the detective.

How Hard Can it Be? - Allison Pearson

photo courtesy: goodreads.com

Sequel that picks up from a different age, a different time.

I enjoyed Pearson's prequel to this one - the memorable mince pies scene immediately comes to mind when I think of Kate Reddy and her antics in I Don't Know How She Does It.

Therefore when this one came to me from Mumsnet in return for an honest review, I was curious to find out how Kate was getting on years later. 

Author Pearson is a well known journalist who shot to fame with her I Don't Know How She Does It. In fact I recall one of the BBC journalists, a new mother, who went on to say that she was given the book as a gift for its accurate portrayal of the life of a working mother.  Clearly, Pearson had stuck a chord somewhere.

Gist:

Fast forward to a few years later and Reddy is now approaching her fiftieth and preparing to get back to work. She is bitter and unhappy - not only because she is older but also the circumstances she finds herself in.

She needs get into work mode for financial reasons but then she realises that her age is a major factor. It doesn't help that her big five O is also coming up. We accompany Reddy on a roller coaster ride as she battles out with narcisstic teenagers, dependent parents and a personal turmoil.

What works:

• Humour. Pearson has a great way of nailing emotions and naming them. It is the humour that brings Kate Reddy to life.

• As with the other book there some memorable scenes that  stick with you. My favourite was the heel drilling one where one of her male colleagues tries to make a pass at her.

• And then as the other book heads towards a tidy conclusion, it has that feel good factor to it. 

• Abelhammer is back and the banter and chemistry between them is as electrocuting as ever.

What doesn't:

• The first few pages that describe Kate's bitterness is what I found it hard to read. At one point, she actually scared me of becoming 50 myself!  I thought that was a bit extreme - the sandwich generation where there is disaster everywhere and no sense of hope....hmm...I struggled to continue with the during that bit.

• The ending was predictable and it was easy to see that how the events were directed towards that objective. 

Overall, it is a typical feel good, candy floss type story. I can understand that there are takers for this genre. A setting of chaos, and then a sense of calm and as everything finds resolution. Maybe I am one of those greedy readers who demand more depth and meaning to a story. For me, the book worked in places, the humour being the highlight - the only thing that kept me going.

Perhaps you may find something more.