Environment – M J Mallon YA Author and Poet

Blurb

“In this reflective collection of syllabic poetry, poet Roberta Cheadle weaves words, emotions, and images as she recounts her soul-stirring journey around South Africa in 2022. She highlights the plight of the animals in the face of the Sixth Mass Extinction, during a visit to Ukutula Lodge & Game Reserve. Lion Roar is a poetic and photographic roadmap to the heart & soul of South Africa with highlights about the increasing impact of global warming on humanity and the greater planet. A must read!”
—Colleen M. Chesebro, Author of Word Craft: Prose & Poetry, The Art of Crafting Syllabic Poetry

My ARC review

Thank you so much to the author for a copy. Here are my thoughts on this book.

Lion Scream is a wonderful collection of well written, accessible, evocative poetry and stunning photography primarily about indigenous species and landscapes of South Africa.

The images and poetry transport you to South Africa; they compliment each other and are beautiful. It is obvious that the author, Robbie Cheadle is passionate about these magnificent animals and the ever growing concerns and cruel practices of rhinos being dehorned for their tusks, poachers, endangered species, climate change, conservation and the illegal trade in exotic pets.

Robbie Cheadle lives in South Africa and has visited facilities such as Ukutula which is a world-class research and conservation facility, specializing in Genetic Mammal Research and Predator Conservation, which she mentions in this book.

In Lion Scream Robbie Cheadle includes links to several youtube videos which is a welcome addition to this marvellous book.

Here is an extract poem which I loved. In Lion Scream it is illustrated by an amazing photo of a lion up a tree!

Tree Lion.

Muscles of iron crouch
He propels upward
Settling his bulk into the crook of a branch
A unique position
To survey and wait
***
Great head moving smoothly
Mane protecting neck
His expression is smug; can I see a smile?
Relishing his power
A king on his throne
***
An unobservant bird
Settles on the pond
He springs, slick and fast; I hardly see him move
Just a splash of water
And a spray of blood

I also loved the amusing photos and poems about buffalos, (entitled: Don’t Be Fooled: I’m Africa’s most dangerous animal.)

There are the ugly five: warthogs, wildebeest, spotted hyenas, marabou storks, vulture, as well as lizards, weaver birds, flamingo, duck, and a cute and funny peacock romance.

Cheeta, tiger, wild dogs, antelope, black jacked jakal, monkey, giraffe, hypothalamus, crocodiles, hadeda (her pet bird,) woodpeckers, dung beetles, African bees, spiders, dragonflies, locusts and more!

“Cheetahs are also victims of the illegal trade in exotic pets as many of them die during transportation.”

The final section highlights sunflowers and the environment plus beautiful photos and accompanying poems of shadows, reflections, sounds, and fire.

This is followed by a short fiction tale, The Nutcracker, a tale about the sixth mass extinction, global warming, mental health, the careless use of medication to treat mental health issues, plastic pollution and cruelty to animals.

There is something for everyone in this beautifully illustrated, and must buy book. It would make a wonderful resource for schools too as it is educational and informative.

A fabulous read. 5 star without a doubt!

Some of the videos in the book… but for all the youtube links do buy a copy of the book.

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My entry to Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge this week is inspired by a piece I am editing for Dan Alatorre’s Word Weaving Competition.

It is taken from a part completed memoir I’ve written of my dad’s early childhood before the Second World War, including his travelling adventures to the Far East, Middle East, Pacific region, Caribbean and Africa. This is a short nostalgic paragraph about him lamenting the loss of the forests that he used to play in plus a poem about the same subject using the words peace and tear.

Before the Second World war children used to play in extensive woodland. This treasured land is now an estate of houses, which encroach upon the sloping fields leading further and further into the now diminishing wood. Yes, land is at a premium, and builders build property upon every spare inch of space – forget about the Thousand Acre Wood, it’s more like postage stamp wood.

I think Eeyore would have this to say: ‘Here today and gone tomorrow.’

The once wooded area has now become a permanent car park for the nearby primary school, built well after the war.

Today, there is just one sorry playground, a tiny place for local children to play in among the houses. It sits like a sad apology to the past.

In my childhood, I remember a veritable playground of fields, marshy land, and hedgerows, where children dawdled for hours playing cowboys and Indians and Doctors and Nurses. One of my favourite childhood pastimes was to construct a pretend shelter with my pals. A local woman would inspect the shelter and play along with our game with a serious air.

Nowadays, children play with manufactured games, watch TV, engage in computer activities, and twiddle with their mobile phones, oh how the world has changed!

This freedom meant that during the war years we would play in strange places, some of which weren’t at all safe. The concept of health and safety didn’t exist! Nowadays children can’t even get a work experience placement without going through a minefield of paperwork, which is a sorry state of affairs if you ask me.

Children enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, such as collecting cigarette and royal navy cards. Though, some weren’t so innocent, one lad with the same name as me took great pleasure in bullying his parents and the poor unfortunate cat. He would set the cat’s tail alight. His parents appeared terrified of him. He behaved like a vandal before vandalism become popular. This bully never bothered me, on the contrary, he encouraged me to stay around. I concluded that he enjoyed an audience for his daily wickedness! I would play with many boys, but none so infamous as Gavin Vernon who stole the stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey on Christmas day 1950!

If you’d like to join in the challenge:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/04/25/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-31-peace-tear/

Bye for now,

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Tag: Environment

MJ Reviews: Lion Scream by @RobertaEaton17 @bakeandwrite #wildlife #poetry #southafrican #habitat #environment #climatechange

Blurb

Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 31 – PEACE & TEAR