I have just enjoyed reading the magical collection of poetry and prose, Mr. Sagittariusby M.J. Mallon
About the collection
Twin brothers Harold and William love the magic of the natural world.
When Harold dies he leaves a simple memorial request.
Will his brother William and his sister Annette honour it?
Or, will the garden work its magic to ensure that they do.
A magical story expressed via an original compilation of poetry and prose with photographic images.
My review for the collection March 4th 2020.
Set against the beautiful back drop of the botanical gardens in Cambridge, prose and verse tell the story of people who find solace and joy in the weeping willow tree and dragonflies and in the wonders of the orchids in the hot house. Twin brothers have a favourite bench where they watch the world go by, and their sister Annette reflects on her life…
This is a collection of love poetry inspired through interpretation of phrases in the Amy Lowell poem ‘Madonna of the Evening Flowers’ (A Lowell, 1919). This collection of poetry is the first of a planned series of three, with poems derived from Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass, 1855) and T. S. Eliot (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, 1910) also scheduled to feature in their own collections.
The nature of the love poems in this collection is personal or interpersonal.
Frank Prem’s interpretations breathe a new life into contemporary love poetry and utilise Lowell’s original work to inspire a tender immediacy and a wonderful warmth of response.
My review
Walk away silver heart is the first of three poetry collections written for A Love Poetry Trilogy.
My favourite poems:
the way you wield (flashes in the light) too much (to bear) finding me (a warm place carried) I think (I paint) murmuring (the lake) need (goes on) chiming a little tune (of you) for the summer red and pink the blossom tell me everything (about you) walk away (silver heart and again lucky one a muse for the madonna (awesome!)
I received an ARC copy from the author Frank Prem and am pleased to share my unbiased opinion of his work.
This is a beautiful collection of love poetry and in my opinion my favourite of Frank Prem’s poetry that I have had the pleasure of reading.
And what is his connection to twin brothers, Harold and William?
When Harold dies he leaves a simple memorial request
Will his sister Annette honour it?
Or, will the magic of the garden ensure that she does.
A magical story expressed via poetry and prose with photographic images.
Mr. Sagittarius is a collection of poetry, prose and photographic images inspired by the botanical gardens in Cambridge. Photography is in the genes! Both my uncle and grandfather were photographers. My grandfather A.G. Ingram was originally with the photography company Ingram, Gordon & Co in Haddington up until the mid thirties. Then he ventured on his own to form the Scottish Pictorial Press in Edinburgh supplying photos to the press. When war broke out Scottish Pictorial Press became defunct. After the war he started AG Ingram Ltd, Commercial Photographers, at 3 successive locations in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Mr. Sagittarius features a variety of photographs including ones of: trees, a robin and a dragonfly! As well as this there are several stories, and some Halloween poems.
It is dedicated to two amazing ladies: Colleen Chesebro (for her weekly poetry challenges and Charli Mills (flash fiction challenges.) Both ladies have been a source of inspiration and encouragement.
Mr. Sagittarius is a magical celebration of the natural world, a circle of life story with an emphasis on the changing seasons of the year.
Featured at Treasuring Poetry, hosted and reviewed by Robbie Cheadle
Wonderful 5 star review for Mr. Sagittarius poetry and prose from author D. L. Finn
“Mr. Sagittarius” is a wonderful collection of poetry, prose, and pictures weaved into a magical story. The book focuses on three older siblings. The male twins have developed a special relationship, making their sister feeling left out. When one twin passes, that leaves the brother and sister to grieve. The stories have powerful images that move the narrative along and sometimes veer off into the unknown for a quick visit. We are led through picturesque scenery and whimsical moments, which include an unusual bubble bath, a rainbow hat, and an ice cave. The poetry was beautiful and powerful, and the photos captured nature brilliantly. A quick read that I found relaxing and endearing. A perfect escape in unsettled times that I recommend.
by M.J. Mallon (Goodreads Author) Robbie Cheadle‘s 5 star review May 09, 2021 Mr Sagittarius is a beautiful collection of poems and short stories, set in the lovely gardens of Cambridge and linked by the visits and experiences of a family of twin brothers and their younger sister.
The story starts with William visiting the weeping willow tree in the garden, a place that was special to his twin brother, Harold, who has recently passed away. William sees Harold’s spirit in a dragonfly that he chats to and finds solace in their one-sided communication.
This is a few lines from a poem about the dragonfly: “Ancient, sweet fellow Sacred magic bestower, Change tumbling on fragile wings.”
When William returns home, he has an altercation with his sister, Annette. During their spat Annette reveals that she has always felt left out and overlooked by her twin brothers. This revelation leads to William and Annette becoming closer and visiting the garden together. Not long after, William passes on and Annette is left alone. She visits the garden and communicates with the spirits of both her brothers over the course of the rest of her long life.
The visits of the siblings to the garden are captured in lovely verse. This is an example I really enjoyed: “I dream in colour But now everything is dark Where has the light gone? Oh, cruel leafy canopy, No green meadow, just blue thoughts.”
My favourite of the short stories was The Old Man of Snow and The Snow Snake. This is a story about making good choices in life and rejecting greed. I enjoyed the tale and the descriptive writing.
Mr Sagittarius is a gorgeous book full of delightfully depictive poems and short stories and decorated with striking photographs. This is a book that lovers of poetry, mystery, and wonder will love.
Also, many thanks to Sally Cronin for a wonderful feature review shout out recently too for Mr. Sagittarius.
“A magical book filled with prose, poetry and photographs all linking back to twin brothers, William and Harold. A fascination with the botanical gardens, and regular visits to the bench under the Golden weeping willow, spark poetic memorise and introduce magical creatures. I have to say, I loved the Bubble Monster! The author, MJ, Mallon, has weaved a mystical tale using her poetry and story-telling, to produce a lovely short read that can be dipped into whenever you want.”
“Mr. Sagittarius is the tale of two very different brothers and their only sister, told in poetry and prose inspired by the natural beauty of the botanical gardens in Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Montreal. The accompanying photographs compliment the story adding to the beauty of the author’s words.
We begin with William, who is mourning the loss of his brother Harold. However, he isn’t the only one feeling the pain of bereavement. Annette, the sister, also laments Harold’s passing. This loss forces the two remaining members of the family to come to grips with their grief in a most extraordinary way.
This is a charming poetic journey inspired by the author’s chance meeting with a dragonfly and a robin, sure to delight all readers. Yet, there is more than one magical tale spilling from this collection. By the time you reach the finale, Mr. Sagittarius reveals the wisdom of a life richly lived.”
“Set against the beautiful back drop of the botanical gardens in Cambridge, prose and verse tell the story of people who find solace and joy in the weeping willow tree and dragonflies and in the wonders of the orchids in the hot house. Twin brothers have a favourite bench where they watch the world go by, and their sister Annette reflects on her life after their loss… Other characters make their appearances sharing the magic of the natural world, including young Aurora who collects rainbows and semi-precious stones.
The author takes us through the seasons with poems reflecting the festivals such as Halloween and Christmas, with ghosts and snowmen and a Christmas Bubble Monster. Finally we meet Mr. Sagittarius who shares the loves of his long life….
This is a delightful read with wonderful photographs to enhance the words, and you will find yourself returning to certain passages to read again and enjoy. I am sure you will find your own favourites and I was hard pushed to select just one, but the Etheree: A Face on Bark struck a chord with me.” Author Sally Cronin.
“This is a short book of poetry and prose about aging siblings and the wisdom of Nature. Mallon’s prose reads like fairy tales, and her poetry reads like magic. The stories and poems are loosely linked, episodic snapshots of the sibling’s lives. It’s an upbeat, happy read.” A Happy Read – Priscilla Bettis, author.
“What a magical Web is woven here by author Marjorie Mallon. A tale of two brothers and a sister, botanical gardens, magical creatures and a bench under a Golden Willow Tree. This delightful mix can be either read in one go or enjoyed as momentary fix. I truly cannot recommend Mr Sagittarius enough there is something for everyone inside it’s pages. I shall say no more apart from urge you to read this book and be totally charmed by it.” Willow Willers.
“I absolutely adore this book and will be sharing it with my 18 year old daughter. I enjoyed the different styles of poetry and prose mixed together with photography. It flowed beautifully. An uplifting, magical, sweet gem of a book.”
This was a charming and whimsical read. The author, Mallon, takes us into a magical world in her prose in a tale about 2 siblings, Annette and William, both aging and dealing in their own ways with the grief and some resentments of their departed brother Harold, twin to William. They open up to each other on a bench under the Golden Weeping Willow tree where nature reveals messages.
Mallon did a wonderful job projecting the imagery as the story interconnects with intermittent poetry taking place in the magical botanical gardens, and beautiful photographs added to complement the story.
This is a short upbeat read with great descriptions and an engaging story.
5.0 out of 5 stars A poetic journey through life. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2020 Verified PurchaseShaped with poems and beautiful pictures this book is a must-read and keep. This novel is the kind you will go back to again and again to dip into and read your favourites. A fantastic book, the author has delivered with engaging characters and beautiful prose. Well done. Adele Marie Park.
My interests include writing, photography, poetry, and alternative therapies. I write YA Fantasy/Paranormal novels, ghost/horror short stories and middle grade fiction as well as micropoetry – haiku and tanka.
My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros! I was born on the 17th of November in Lion City: Singapore, (a passionate Scorpio, with the Chinese Zodiac sign a lucky rabbit. I grew up in a mountainous court in the Peak District in Hong Kong.
As a teenager I travelled to many far-flung destinations. It’s rumoured that I now live in the Venice of Cambridge, with my six foot hunk of a Rock God husband. My two enchanted daughters often return to visit me with a cheery smile.
When I’m not writing, I eat exotic delicacies while belly dancing, or surf to the far reaches of the moon. To chill out, I practise Tai Chi. If the mood takes me I snorkel with mermaids, or sign up for idyllic holidays with the Chinese Unicorn, whose magnificent voice sings like a thousand wind chimes.
I write YA Fantasy/Paranormal novels, Horror/Ghost short stories and multi-genre flash fiction as well as micro poetry – haiku and Tanka. I share book reviews, poetry, flash fiction, photography and inspirational details of my writing journey at my lovely blog home – Kyrosmagica: https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/
Ritu reads so much! Wonderful collection of books to discover. Thrilled by the 5 star review for Mr. Sagittarius and well done to Robbie Cheadle too! Awesome.
The above is a poetry excerpt from my poetry, prose and photography book Mr. Sagittarius which is now available on Kindle Unlimited, and to buy in Kindle and full colour Paperback.
I added the last line as the dragonfly has such a short life like the butterfly and change can be fragile unless we encourage and nurture it and learn to be our better selves.
A while ago on my frequent visits to Cambridge Botanical Gardens I came across a very friendly dragonfly. This particular fellow, or lady dragonfly, landed right next to me on the bench. Mr. or Miss. Dragonfly remained for a very long time as if enjoying my company! I even placed my hand above expecting the dragonfly to fly away but it stayed motionless enjoying the sunshine with me.
It flew off for a few moments and then came back to me as if showing off its flying prowess.
Later, I posted about this encounter on Facebook and received several comments, one of which said: dragonflies are good luck omens and seeing one may denote change.
How interesting! Yes, this ancient insect has many myths and legends attributed to it. In Japan, it is revered as a good luck symbol and often mentioned in haiku poetry. Some cultures link the dragonfly with the dragon which is a startling synergy as I intend to write about dragons in the final book of my YA series The Curse of Time. I’m currently editing book two and hope to have the second book out by Christmas.
The first book in the series is available via Amazon and is receiving a good amount of 4 and 5 star reviews: Buy Book:myBook.to/TheCurseofTime
Returning to the dragonfly I’d recommend the following post if you want to find out more about dragonflies. It is a fascinating dragonfly article sharing different reactions from all over the world ranging from: celebrating, or fearing the dragonfly: J Sedgwick: http://www.icysedgwick.com/dragonfly-folklore/
Whatever the truth about dragonflies I like to believe in their magic.
Certainly, it is true that my life has changed in the most amazing way since I’ve discovered the joys of writing, blogging and photography.
Since encountering my dragonfly friend I have written a short story about twin brothers and a dragonfly bound to the magic of the gorgeous Golden Willow Tree which opens the narrative in Mr. Sagittarius.
I’ve mentioned the Willow Tree before in my series of posts about the magic of trees:
It’s amazing that there are ideas/characters/inspirations for writing everywhere. All manner of strange beings: (Insects, trees and people!) can supply ideas which excite me as I pass by on my way to my day job, or on my days off work.
For instance, the two brothers in Mr. Sagittarius: Harold and William were inspired by a couple of elderly gents that I noticed on my way to work one day. They were such extraordinary looking characters that I just had to write about them! They had no idea what I had in store for them… Thank goodness it’s all fictional. Lol.
If you open your eyes to magic you will discover stories everywhere. Time to embrace change with a full and happy heart.
Getting back to the dragonfly. Have you had a similar encounter with a spirit animal?
Do let me know, I’d love to hear about it.
Some good news! My full colour paperback is now available in Amazon. Here’s my universal link for Mr. Sagitarrius which is available in paperback, kindle and free on kindle unlimited: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius
I’m sitting in a cafe in Cambridge watching the snow fall. A lady crosses the road with a large black umbrella, the white flecks of pure snow fall covering its surface. I am drawn to this image to write a poem.
The world faces so many challenges at the moment: climate crisis, Coronovirus, economic crises. Where are we headed? Unfortunately, the Coronovirus has led to some racist abuse due to the origin of the virus. So, this is my poetic take on the state of affairs, expressed with a Tanka…
White snow falls to black Umbrellas hiding cold stares Finding clarity Sick quarantine continues Media spreads people’s fears.
Basically, parts of my heart are not functioning as they should, forcing the rest of my heart to work harder.
The cardiologist confirmed my primary doctor’s findings, I probably suffered two heartaches in December.
My doctor wants me to undergo a procedure (in April) that should stimulate and revive these slacking walls. THE DOCTOR COULD NOT GUARANTEE this procedure will be successful. He also informed me that out of 1,000 hearts in the conditions that mine is currently in, 1 will not survive the surgery.
He also stated WITHOUT THE PROCEDURE parts of my heart will totally stop functioning within two to three years.
Doc wants me to rest and build up my strength for this procedure, but this time I will not go it alone. My intention is to continue blogging. I will read and approve the 700+ comments that are pending…
Thank you to Sally Cronin for this lovely feature of Mr. Sagittarius poetry and prose on her blog and details of Ritu Bhathal’s 5 star review for Mr. Sagittarius. ❤
This feature was originally posted on our collaborative blog: The Sisters of The Fey on 8th May, 2018. We are writing under a new name #SpiritualSisters on our own blogs.
On that particular date in May 2018 I was at a creative writing course in Cambridge run by artist Lyndell Phelps and poet, writer, producer Dan Simpson. It was a very warm day, perhaps too warm to be cooped inside writing. Luckily, we were able to sit out in the warm sunshine for the second half of the writing day.
On my way home I decided to have a wander in the sun. I stumbled upon a gate which I’d never seen before. This was odd as I often walk down this particular road and have NEVER noticed it before. Being curious by nature I decided to venture inside even though it was deserted and there were abundant eerie shadows at the entrance.
I discovered a tiny park with lots of pretty trees, a fabulous blue sky up above and the added bonus of some shadows! Yes, I do like shadows!
I took some photos which you can see and even though the park was tiny these images seem to make it look enormous!
HOW STRANGE!
I lingered a while and then left the park via a different gate. To my surprise I ended up coming out on an entirely different road. This was so odd and somewhat disorientating. How could I have started on Shaftesbury Road and ended up on Aberdeen Avenue? Is that even possible? Perhaps I had too much sun? Or maybe, could this be…
MAGIC!!
The tiny park had its gates wide open just as if it intended to say:
COME IN!
Who knows? It would be wonderful to imagine that magic played a part in this.
I shall investigate again who knows I might find a fairy or two, or maybe even a unicorn next time!
Bye for now,
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xxx
The Spiritual Sisters are:
Adele Marie Park Author & Personal Blog: Firefly465
And to Willow who closes off my official tour but has been such a supportive soul sharing all the blog tour posts everywhere! She has been such a help. ❤
Please do support these authors/bloggers they are the best.
Thank you also to all of you who have already bought a copy. ❤ xxx And twitter friends who have been sharing like mad for me!!!
I will be donating the first month’s ebook royalties to the Australian bush fires. More about the charity to be selected soon once I count up the coffers… and see how much I have to donate.
About the collection
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 