Book Review Haiku Dan Costinas #poetry #haiku #climatechange AND Preorder – Almost Posthumous: One Hundred Pages of Solitude #literary #darksatire #preorder #psychologicalthriller #fiction

My ReviewIt Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth

Dan Costinas’s Haiku It Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth is as its title suggests – a poetry collection about climate change and our human responses to it, our lack of care and action taken.

It’s a short book of haiku poetry about climate change with a big heart.

It has three sections D, beginning with the devastating effects. This part is hard hitting, it doesn’t hide behind a flimsy wall.

One such example from the collection:

seas mourn their new pain
plastic chokes the waves to death
countless megatons

H, offers glimmers of hope,
An example:

whispers wash red skies
smooth pearls twirl upon dry leaves
Earth drinks, reborn new

The author Dan Costinas illustrates the D & H series with Kanji (Japanese characters.)

And in the final section E, he challenges the typical 5, 7, 5 syllabic structure by using a single word on each line to convey a deeper overall meaning.

As in:

undeniable
totalitarianism
intolerable

I’d recommend to poetry enthusiasts who appreciate how a few words really can drive the message home.

Poetry truly is powerful!

A worthy collection with dire warnings but optimistic overtones to make life on this much loved Earth better through change.

My review on Goodreads:

M.J. Mallon’s review of Haiku: It Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth | Goodreads

To buy:

Haiku: It Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth eBook : Costinas, Dan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Also, keep a look out as Dan has a new book coming out on 1st July, you can preorder with this link: Almost Posthumous: One Hundred Pages of Solitude eBook : Costinas, Dan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Synopsis – Almost Posthumous: One hundred Pages of Solitude

Fame. Fraud. Second Chances. Welcome to the ultimate literary deception.

Jordan J. Justice spent his entire career playing by the rules. He poured his soul into brilliant, fiercely honest prose, only for his books to gather dust in forgotten discount bins. In a world of short memories and toxic literary gatekeeping, the public met his talent with deafening silence until he decided to rewrite the rules entirely.
He realised the world only devours the work of an author whose voice has been forever stilled. So, he gave them exactly what they desired: a ghost.

By staging his own disappearance, Jordan orchestrates a grand illusion. Overnight, his name roars onto global bestseller lists, and his ignored manuscripts are suddenly fought over like holy relics. He is forced to watch his lifelong ambition succeed from the shadows of a monumental irony, living a double life where his talent is finally honoured, but only at the cost of his identity.

Yet, when a cynical literary world threatens to pull down the curtain on his masterpiece, Jordan refuses to remain buried. If the traditional publishing establishment demands a corpse to find value, the entertainment industry demands a survivor. Escaping to the glitz and grit of the silver screen, Jordan takes his genius for deception into Hollywood, transforming the ultimate literary fraud into a highly lucrative commodity.

Almost Posthumous is a genre-bending, multi-layered narrative that offers a unique, multi-part perspective:

The Wilderness Files:
The brilliant, surreal short stories written by Jordan during his dark years of obscurity: tales of quiet desperation, existential dread, and sharp irony.

The Hollywood Aftermath:
The voyeuristic thrill of the scripts, treatments, and character bibles that document Jordan’s chaotic evolution from a failed novelist into a ruthless television showrunner.

Part psychological thriller, part dark satire, and part metafictional anthology, Almost Posthumous is an artefact of our collective obsession with celebrity culture. It is a sharp, biting commentary on how society values its prophets only when they are gone—and how a clever man can use that cynicism to mould himself a brand-new life.
Read it now, before he changes his name, and his story, once again.

Almost Posthumous: One Hundred Pages of Solitude eBook : Costinas, Dan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

I’ve featured Dan on my blog before (he is a generous chap and a great supporter of fellow writers, a fantastic poet and an author who is well worth discovering):

Interview with Dan Costinas, alias Dan Quijote #Shakespeare #reading #reviewing The Last Folio – M J Mallon YA Author and Poet

Signature

24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge #poetry#tankatuesday #the365dayspoetrychallenge

Today, I am sharing my Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday poetry with some poems I’ve written for the #the365daypoetrychallenge on Facebook. I’m writing at least a poem a day, and today I wrote several! Currently up to day 47 in the challenge. All my poems are shared to my Facebook page which I’d be delighted if you would follow my progress there: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor

For Tanka Tuesday below you will find three kigo phrases that pertain to the northern hemisphere I’ve used one kigo phrase in each of my three poem with syllable count, 10,7,6.

• #1: “buying a new calender” (7 syllables)

• #2: “winter desolation” (6 syllables)

• #3: “trimming the Christmas tree” (6 syllables)

#1 Buying A New Calender


another new year approaching so fast
buying a new calendar
for you to fill with fun.

The winter desolation poem below is inspired by my daughter who lives in Manchester. She mentioned how rainy and gusty it has been with one lady nearly being blown onto oncoming traffic by the wind. She was telling me about it on the phone as she made her way home for a hot chocolate to get away from the wind and rain!

#2 Winter Desolation

this storm brings terrible gusts and such rain
a hot chocolate combats
winter desolation

The Seville photos were taken by me recently on our trip to see the Christmas lights!

#3 Trimming The Christmas Tree

imagine the brilliant task ahead

in Seville reaching that cross

trimming the Christmas tree

OR:

eating the chocolate santa real quick
foil wrapped baubles are all gone
trimming the christmas tree

Day 47 Haiku Inspired Forms #365daypoetrychallenge

Seasonal image 5 lines 7 words Ronkowitz

like nature try to preserve your energy
winter scenes are beautiful but bitter cold
look how thin the berry twigs are
brightest red holding promises dangling so merrily.
bringing much needed winter cheer to you.

Miku 3 line with syllable count, 2 3 2

pinecone
cinnamon
delight!

Photo taken in Seville, Spain.

Abbreviated haiku 3 5 3

Seville lights
bright cascading threads
shining stars

Or 7,2

Seville lights bringing such cheer
tonight!

Photo taken in Seville, Spain.

Ukiah 3 line, 19 syllable,  757rhyme scheme aaa

such a pretty sight greets me
a star, bell and tree
i pause breathe in, smile and be

4 line haiku 17 syllables or less with 2 line phrases that jukstapose each other

look
snowy penguin 
wearing yellow sunglasses
on a balcony!

Image above taken by me in Tavira, Portugal.

6 line haiku bob-bon with 2 phrases the first 3 lines leading into the next three lines.

tranquil boat
still on the river
just lazing

a reflection
that topples me over
playfully

Or:

tranquil boat
still on the water
just lazing

i reflect
move on with dancing steps
jogging away

Monoku 17 syllables written in one line with 2 stops

The bird sits head bowed awaiting arrival of spring dreams of blue skies

©️2023 M J Mallon poetry and photos of Seville, Tavira Portugal.

TANKA Tuesday no. 307 #haiku #poetry #writing #dilemma

The photo has nothing to do with the poetry but I’m smiling and been deliberating…. so… this week I’m writing a haiku to consider my forthcoming dilemma… Do I self publish my final book in the Curse of Time series, or search for a new publisher, or keep with the one I have?

Do I stay with you?
To flourish... see what happens?
Should I exchange you?

Decisions, decisions. Lots of time to make up my mind as I have just begun writing book three.

Dilemma, it is...
What to do? Decision time
Decide. Switch. Promote.

For Change chose switch, exchange
For Grow flourish, promote

In case you’ve missed it check out my interview at Colleen’s coffee klatch: https://colleenmchesebro.com/2022/11/23/colleens-coffee-klatch-mj-mallon-do-what-you-love-newrelease/

AUTHOR SOCIAL MEDIA DETAILS

Authors Website: https://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com
Authors Amazon Pagehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L
Next Chapter Publishing Author Page: https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/mj-mallon
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon https://twitter.com/Marjorie_Mallon 

#ABRSC – Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1829166787333493/
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-j-mallon 

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mjmallonauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjm_reviews/

Portugal travels, Vila Nova de Castelo, Almancil, Altura and Vale De Lobo #poetry #haiku #travel #portugal

I took these photos last autumn while I was travelling in Portugal. So, with colour poetry, taste the rainbow as the theme for Colleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday, it seemed the perfect opportunity to share these now, along with some haiku.

muted life’s colours

tranquil portuguese autumn

bringing me much joy

blue sky and blue sea

green leaves but autumnal earth

orange underfoot

golfer’s paradise

val do lobo is so green

autumn algarve day

my favourite spot

empty of souls only shells

autumn on the beach

I’m excited to reveal that I am working on my next poetry collection: Do What You Love… I will share more about this soon!

Also, I’m delighted to be a contributing author in Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth and Robbie Cheadle.

#TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 220, @ColleenChesebro #POET’SCHOICE #Swans #Nature #Poetry

I wrote a series of short poems inspired by photographs I’d taken during a walk at my local country park lake.




Hidden behind reeds, 
Swan sits, her neck curls, twirling,
Twigs bend in circles,
I pause, observe, imagine,
White tiny cygnets hatching.

© M J Mallon

A White Mound,

I see you flash by,

Concealed, nest.

© M J Mallon

No White Mound

Trees, lake, hidden life

Bright Yellow

© M J Mallon

I hope you enjoyed!

#TANKA TUESDAY WEEKLY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 218 @ColleenChesebro #EKPHRASTIC #PHOTOPROMPT #Haiku

Image Credit: D.L. Finn

This week we have a photo prompt from Denise. And a truly inspiring one it is. A lady in blue hugging a tree. Here is my take expressed in a series of haiku.

Her blue snow soaked gown

Holds a silent hug to bark

Trees weep heart’s full tears

***

Vital friend severed

Bark ‘s finger accuses sky

The winter mist spreads

***

Dryad masked in blue

Once full, her kind heart splinters

The tree holds her face

I hope you enjoyed the series of haiku.

Before you go I’d love it if you could pop over to Sally Cronin’s blog. She is sharing the latest review for my poetry collection: Lockdown Innit Poems About Absurdity. https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/03/27/smorgasbord-book-reviews-poetry-lockdown-innit-by-m-j-mallon/

If you are an avid poetry reader and would like a copy to review (no obligation, of course,) let me know. Happy to send you a copy!

Please consider adding to your Goodreads and check out some of my other books.

Thank you peeps!

.gr_container { font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 250px; } .gr_book_container { border-bottom: 1px solid #d7d7d7; padding: 5px 0px; } .gr_book_image { float: left; padding-right: 20px; } .gr_book_title {} .gr_review_stats {} M.J. Mallon’s books on Goodreads
Ghostly Writes Anthology 2018 Ghostly Writes Anthology 2018
reviews: 7
ratings: 46 (avg rating 3.91)

The Curse Of Time The Curse Of Time (Bloodstone,#1)
reviews: 27
ratings: 34 (avg rating 4.26)

This Is Lockdown This Is Lockdown
reviews: 14
ratings: 19 (avg rating 4.95)

Mr. Sagittarius Mr. Sagittarius
reviews: 13
ratings: 16 (avg rating 4.94)

Lockdown Innit: Poems About Absurdity Lockdown Innit: Poems About Absurdity
reviews: 9
ratings: 12 (avg rating 4.67)

https://www.goodreads.com/author/author_widget/17064826.M_J_Mallon?widget_id=1616916882

AUTHOR SOCIAL MEDIA DETAILS

Authors Website: https://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com
Authors Amazon Pagehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon

#ABRSC – Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1829166787333493/
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-j-mallon 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

Spiritual Sisters: https://www.facebook.com/5SpiritualSisters

#TANKA TUESDAY POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 202 SYNONYMSONLY

This week, Kat Myrman, from Like Mercury Colliding, selected the words:

Imagine & Gratitude

So, I decided to write about my recent walk in the botanical gardens in Cambridge. It was a glorious autumn day which filled my spirit full of imagination and gratitude. There is a small area which is normally for school children only but this has been opened to the public.

I took various photos. I particularly loved this lovely writers throne which I shared on my Instagram…

Visualise

A writers garden

Blessed with thanks

And this was so unusual, just a couple of broken branches but they looked like a crocodile’s head and tail!

My head’s tail!

Give crocodile thanks

Picture this…

These are so cute too…

The autumn colours are fabulous.

Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 174 #PhotoPrompt #Haiga #Haiku #Tree #Nature

This week’s photo prompt from Colleen is an excellent one. It’s so evocative. Who can this young girl be? And what might her plight be? She looks desperately sad, so I decided to write a poetic haiga in her honour.


Image Credit: Unknown

Abandoned, she slumps down

A blade of grass caresses skin

Her pregnant bump hides.

***

The tree waits

Nature together

Babe in utero.

***

Daughter

Accepted

By tree.

The haiku poem was inspired by the photo of the girl resting by a tree, looking melancholy, a blade of grass reaches upwards towards her chin. It made me wonder what was making the woman so sad.

As it’s a haiku with a tight syllabic count there’s an immediate need to express her plight, so I decided upon an unwanted pregnancy – a girl sitting in nature – leaning against a tree – a symbol of life giving. The tree and nature (the grass,) will not judge her as others might – Daughter accepted by tree. Is the baby the daughter, or is the pregnant woman? Or are all females daughters of nature?

Yes, my mind does work in strange ways and this is only heightened during lockdown.

Via Colleen’s Blog: The HAIGA IN ENGLISH: 5/7/5, 3/5/3, 2/3/2 syllable structure. Haiga is called observational poetry because it contains an image with either a Haiku or Senryu written on it or near it. There are a few hard and fast rules for creating Haiga. The Haiku is the most important part and must standalone.

To join in with Colleen’s weekly prompts: https://colleenchesebro.com/2020/04/21/colleens-2020-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-174-photoprompt/

And might I suggest some poetic reading? A lovely, heart-warming and magical read suitable for lockdown…

Mr. Sagittarius is a collection of poetry, prose and photographic images inspired by the beautiful botanical gardens in Cambridge.

It’s a light-hearted, magical story about two fictional characters, twin brothers Harold and William, their sister Annette and the sibling’s connection to the beautiful botanical gardens in Cambridge.

Moreover, it celebrates many aspects of day to day life including: humour, sibling relationships, beauty, nature, the seasons of the year, love and ultimately magic.

I love spending time in nature taking photos – my favourite photos in this collection are the robin, trees and the dragonfly that grace this little book.

Photography is in my 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 three successive locations in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The photographic images in the book are all my own, apart from two images kindly given by Alex Marlowe – a talented photographer.

To buy this book, please visit Amazon, click on the link below:

Available for free on kindle unlimited and to buy in kindle and paperback: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius

Thank you for entering my worlds. I hope they bring you a touch of magic. And thank you to all the kind people who read and review my work. I appreciate you.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L/

Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 173 #SynonymsOnly #Haiku

This haiku is inspired by the river walk near where I live. Yesterday, my daughter and I saw two swans, one was tranquil and the other angrily hissing at two guys on their barge. The two swans couldn’t have been any different!

Believe this Swan’s cute
Elegant fellow’s so calm
Near me’s no problem

Swan wife’s intention
Her whim is to hiss angry
At barge men in boats!

Synonyms of Idea and fancy : belief, intention, elegant, whim.

https://colleenchesebro.com/2020/04/14/colleens-2020-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-173-synonymsonly/

I have a new review for Mr. Sagittarius to share with you from Willow, that cheered me up no end as I haven’t been feeling too well today. Thank you Willow for reading and reviewing. 🙂

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R3MH2KY5PXN0GX/

Available for free on kindle unlimited and to buy in kindle and paperback: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius

Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 167, #Poet’sChoice #Haiga

My daughter Natasha and I saw this beautiful mural in Glasgow when we were looking at accommodation for her course starting in August. She is going to Strathclyde university to study to be an English secondary school teacher. It is the work of Australian artist Smug and depicts the patron saint of Glasgow, St Mungo, appearing to be breastfed by his mother, St Enoch, while a robin – said to signify one of his later miracles – perches on her wrist. It is alleged that St Mungo restored life to a robin, that had been killed by some of his classmates.

This is my HAIGA in response: 5/7/5, 3/5/3, 2/3/2 syllable structure. A Haiga is an observational form of poetry which contains an image with either a Haiku or Senryu written on it or near it.

A new adventure

Such a wondrous sight – robin!

It’s a good omen.

A surprise!

Beautiful robin

Let’s go!

Mother

Daughter time

Explore!

Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 167, #Poet’sChoice

My new release: Mr. Sagitarrius, poetry, prose and photography is now available in full paper paperback, kindle and free on kindle unlimited. Buying Link: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius.

Latest review: 5 stars! https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/smorgasbord-book-reviews-poetry-and-prose-mr-sagittarius-by-m-j-mallon/

Social Media Links

Authors Websitehttps://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com
Collaborative Bloghttps://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
#ABRSC: Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-mallon