Sweetshop by Sheila Ash

Photo (C) Sheila Ash The inside of Edward & Vintage Sweetshop, Tissington, Derbyshire, UK (Aug 2018) (https://www.edwardandvintage.co.uk )

Smiles skip down the street
A tiny hand holdfasts a sixpence -
a shining silver dowry
for a piece of heaven’s sweetness
sought in the fizz of lemon sherbet.

On tiptoes, stretching
fingers find the edge,
silver slides across mahogany.
Withdrawing. Waiting.
Patience prickles audibly.

Giant overhanging hands
parachute a weekly hit -
a bag of exuberant bliss
sugaring life’s paucity.
Two hands catch and close.

Thanks dropped like a curtsy before the door
Head down
eyes down
mouth salivating
skips effervesced away like burst bubbles.

The walk home long savoured
with every slow step
with every syrupy suck.

© Sheila Ash, 2018

Song for the unforgotten by Sheila Ash

As the days became hours
we disentangle you from the tubing of trust
take you from the incubator of hope,
cradle you in the arms of family,
bathe you in the love that had made you.

For every moment of your life
we were graced by your presence.
Your tiny hands fankled our fingers,
feeding our hearts.

We blanketed you to us -
your struggle comforted,
your touch cherished to the end.

We will always be with you
as you will always be with us

© Sheila Ash, 2018

Review: IQ by Joe Ide

IQ by Joe Ide
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I sped through this riveting, fast paced, first in series thriller is a modern take on the Sherlock Holmes meme set in gangland LA. Recommended by a member of my in person book group, it is packed full of character and humour. The excellant narration is by by Sullivan Jones who I am pleased to see also narrates Book 2 in the series Righteous and released only this week Book 3 Wretched. This book is screaming for a TV adaptation or movie. If you want a thriller for the beach or the winter nights, this is the one.

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