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Treasuring Poetry: Meet author and poet M J Mallon

Posted: May 15, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Author Profile, Book Review, Books, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: , , , , , , |59 Comments

My Treasuring Poetry guest today is talented author and poet M J Mallon. I am delighted to host Marje here and hope you enjoy her thoughts on poetry and her favourite poem.

Which of your own poems is your favourite?

This was such a difficult decision, I have at least three favourites! I narrowed it down to the robin. The robin and the dragonfly are my spirit animals and trees are also a huge inspiration. I’ve written about all of these and more in Mr. Sagittarius.

A beautiful picture of a robin by M J Mallon

Bench,

A bird,

Red-breasted,

So, tame you rest,

Beside me robin,

Two friends on a park bench,

One human, one of nature,

I appreciate your kind time,

Until you away… exploring far,

Hinting at possibilities you go. 

I wonder what you notice in your world.

And why you choose that ground to explore,

When you could have stayed here with me,

In mindful meditation.

Maybe you’ll visit me,

Christmas day, perhaps?

To bring good cheer,

Until then,

Peace to, You.

What inspired you to write this particular poem?

I’d been studying mindfulness at the sixth form college where I work. Mindfulness is the act of observing and using the full array of our senses meditatively to become more at one with ourselves. I’ve discovered that this is a fantastic practice to adhere to. It benefits an author’s creativity by making you more aware of the nuances of your surroundings.  I’m fortunate in that I work near the botanical gardens in Cambridge, so I often visit and walk and observe the wonder of nature taking photographs of the trees, flowers, animal and insect visitors. Over time, I collected these photographs and wrote poems about them. These, along with various seasonal and short pieces of fiction feature in Mr. Sagittarius. It is a joyful celebration of siblings, magic, loves, nature, the seasons and the circle of our lives.

Which genre of poetry do you enjoy writing the most and why?

I love writing poetry about life in all its vibrant colours. I am often inspired by photography, (I am a keen amateur photographer – my grandfather and uncle were professional photographers,) or I use images I discover as prompts, often via Colleen Chesebro’s poetry challenge: https://wordcraftpoetry.com/

Specifically, I enjoy writing poems about nature, trees, flowers, love and Halloween! Halloween poems also feature in Mr. Sagittarius. Halloween is an autumnal activity, (and often a childhood one,) so it links well with the seasonal/circle of life, aspect of my poetry writing.

Which genre of poetry do you enjoy reading the most?

I enjoy reading short form poetry. It is so expressive and brilliant. I love how short verses of poetry convey so much detail in so few words. I enjoy haiku, and tanka, as well as poems that form a pattern on the page. I also enjoy longer forms as you will see from my choice of favourite poem.

What is your favourite poem?

I have always loved Ode To Autumn by John Keats. I can almost taste the words. They are magnificent—that first line: Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness —draws you in and makes you long to read more.

Ode To Autumn by John Keats


  1. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
            Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
        Conspiring with him how to load and bless
            With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
        To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
            And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
              To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
            With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
        And still more, later flowers for the bees,
      Until they think warm days will never cease,
              For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

    2.
      Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
          Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
      Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
          Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
      Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
          Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
              Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
      And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
          Steady thy laden head across a brook;
          Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
              Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

    3.
      Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
          Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
      While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
          And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
      Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
          Among the river sallows, borne aloft
              Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
      And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
          Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
          The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
              And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
https://allpoetry.com/Ode-To-Autumn

Mr Sagittarius by M J Mallon

About Mr Sagittarius

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.

#Poetry #Prose #Photography #NaturalWorld #Trees #Magic #Spirit #Animals #CircleofLife #Humour #Halloween #Cats #Buddha

My review of Mr Sagittarius

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.

Purchase Mr Sagittarius: Poetry and Prose

Amazon US

M J Mallon Amazon Author Page

About M J Mallon

I am a diverse author who blogs at: https://mjmallon.com. My interests include writing, poetry, photography, and alternative therapies. My favourite genres to write are: Fantasy YA, Paranormal, Ghost and Horror Stories and I love writing various forms of poetry and micro poetry – haiku and Tanka and flash fiction.

I am proud to be included in the best selling horror anthology Nightmareland which received best seller status with best-selling author Dan Alatorre at the helm.

It is one of my greatest pleasures to read and I have written over 100 reviews: https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/28/a-z-of-my-book-reviews/

About Robbie Cheadle

IMG_9902

Robbie Cheadle is a children’s author and poet.

The Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie has also published books for older children which incorporate recipes that are relevant to the storylines.

Robbie writes a monthly series for https://writingtoberead.com called Growing Bookworms. This series discusses different topics relating to the benefits of reading to children.

Robbie has a blog, https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/ where she shares book reviews, recipes, author interviews, and poetry.

Find Robbie Cheadle

Blog: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Blog: robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com

Twitter: BakeandWrite

Instagram: Robbie Cheadle – Instagram

Facebook: Sir Chocolate Books

Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Treasuring Poetry” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress.

59 Comments on “Treasuring Poetry: Meet author and poet M J Mallon”

  1. Marje @ Kyrosmagica says:
    May 15, 2021 at 3:36 am

    Thank you so much Robbie for the beautiful Treasuring Poetry post, and review of Mr. Sagitarrius. I appreciate it so much. And to Kaye Lynn Booth for hosting me on writing to be read.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. Annette Rochelle Aben says:
    May 15, 2021 at 11:44 am

    Cool, Keats and Robins in the same post! Marjorie has a style and a smile that come from the heart.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  3. Marje @ Kyrosmagica says:
    May 16, 2021 at 12:43 am

    Thanks Annette. What a lovely comment, made me smile this Sunday! x

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  4. robbiesinspiration says:
    May 16, 2021 at 2:02 am

    Reblogged this on Robbie's inspiration and commented:

    Talented poet and author, M J Mallon, is my May Treasuring Poetry guest. She has shared some great thoughts about poetry and her favourite poem. I have also shared my review of Mr Sagittarius which includes both poetry and short stories. Thank you, Kaye Lynne Booth for hosting us today.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Toni Pike says:
    May 16, 2021 at 2:47 am

    How wonderful to read more about Marje and her beautiful writing – I love how she is inspired by the poetry of vibrant colours. And so wonderful to read “Ode to Autumn” again. Toni x

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. Priscilla Bettis says:
    May 16, 2021 at 5:10 am

    I’ve read Mr. Sagittarius. It’s an upbeat, feel-good read. Good review, Robbie!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  7. Jill Weatherholt says:
    May 16, 2021 at 5:46 am

    It was nice to learn more about Marje. I enjoy your review, Robbie. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  8. OIKOS™-Editorial says:
    May 16, 2021 at 6:07 am

    Thank you for featuring M.J., and her famous work. I love Mr. Sagittarius too, but now i see again how difficult it is, writing a good review, without only re-printing the novel. Thank you for beeing a role model, Robbie! Sometimes i am maybe able doing so too. Michael

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  9. balroop2013 says:
    May 16, 2021 at 11:22 am

    Thank you girls for sharing lovely poetry… an amalgamation of old and new! Your review is a wonderful addition Robbie, I like it.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  10. Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says:
    May 16, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    Terrific post Robbie and Marje and thanks to Kaye Lynne for hosting.. Ode to Autumn is one of my favourites too and love the remember the robin…from the lovely collection Mr. Sagittarius. thanks all of you…hugsx

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  11. Miriam Hurdle says:
    May 16, 2021 at 10:58 pm

    It’s great to learn more about marje and the inspiration for her poetry. Thank you for sharing your review of Mr. Sagittarius, Robbie. I also enjoyed reading this book! Thank you, Kaye Lynne for hosting marje.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  12. Liz Gauffreau says:
    May 17, 2021 at 5:35 am

    I enjoyed this interview with Marje and getting to know a little more about what inspires her to write.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  13. memadtwo says:
    May 17, 2021 at 6:04 am

    Marje is a close observer of nature, both image and word. A poem about birds is always welcome. (K)

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  14. Smorgasbord Blogger Daily – Tuesday 18th May 2021 -#Interview Robbie Cheadle with M.J. Mallon, #Poetry Colleen Chesebro, #Fishdish New Vintage Kitchen | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine says:
    May 18, 2021 at 11:01 am

    […] Head over to enjoy the post in full: Treasuring Poetry: Meet author and poem M J Mallon […]

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  15. olganm says:
    May 18, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    Lovely examples of Marje’s poetry, and the interview illustrates her process of creation so well! Thanks for the review and congratulations to Marje for her poems and her images. Beautiful!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  16. Vashti Q says:
    May 18, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    Hello, everyone! I enjoyed Marje’s lovely poetry and interview. The book review is also wonderful. Thank you, Robbie! Congratulations to Marje! 😀 xo

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  17. dgkaye says:
    May 18, 2021 at 6:15 pm

    Fantastic interview ladies. I love your poetry Marje. And I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Sagittarius too. ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • robbiesinspiration says:
      May 19, 2021 at 3:36 am

      Hi Debby, thanks for adding your endorsement of Marje’s book here. I loved it. I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. PS I could not access your book review on your blog on Sunday or yesterday. It gives me an error message.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  18. Smitha V says:
    May 18, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    Lovely interview Robbie. Got a taste of Marje’s poetry. John Keats poem is a classic- enjoyed reading it again and your review of the book Robbie is wonderful.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  19. D. Wallace Peach says:
    May 19, 2021 at 10:22 am

    Another great interview and share. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Sagittarius and Marje’s poetry. And Keats is a beautiful choice. Thanks for share Robbie and Marje. And thanks for hosting Kaye Lynne.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  20. Annika Perry says:
    May 28, 2021 at 9:55 am

    Kaye, a wonderful guest post and it’s been a delight to learn more about Marje and her love of poetry. I enjoyed the ones shared here and yeah, I’m another huge fan of ‘Ode to Autumn’ How true that one can ‘almost taste the words. They are magnificent’.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  21. Media Kit: Mr. Sagittarius #poetry #prose #photography – M J Mallon YA Author and Poet says:
    October 28, 2022 at 2:24 am

    […] Treasuring Poetry: Meet author and poet M J Mallon […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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