Treasuring Poetry – Meet poet and author, Laura Lyndhurst, and a review
Posted: February 18, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Collection, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: #RobbieCheadle, #TreasuringPoetry, Book Review, Interview, Laura Lyndhurst, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, Social Climbing and Other Poems, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read 16 Comments
Hi everyone, today I’m thrilled to introduce you to Laura Lyndhurst. Laura is an accomplished author and poet and is also a new member of Story Empire blog which is a great resource for writers. You can read Laura’s first Story Empire post here: https://storyempire.com/2026/02/10/sowing-the-seeds-of-a-story/
Welcome Laura!
Tell us a bit about yourself and your poetry journey. How did you come to be a poet?
I never intended to write poetry. At school it was my least-favourite of the three prose-poetry-drama disciplines, and I didn’t like many of the poems that we studied. It was the same at university, when I finally got there in my forties. I was obliged to study Romanticism for my first-year core module, and I hated it. Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelly; I wasn’t keen on them, although I was okay with some of Keats’s work. In the second year I couldn’t help but study more poetry, and I didn’t mind John Donne at all.
As to my own work, it was when I joined a Facebook writing group that it started. The group leader decided to post a picture every day for the month of October, inviting the group members to write a few paragraphs of prose around them. I sat with the first picture, thought, wrote—and what came out was poetry. The leader and members liked it, and thereafter I challenged myself to write poem every day from the picture prompt. At the end of the months I decided to publish them in a book, to claim copyright on them as much as anything. I called it October Poems, after the month in which I wrote them, and three more little collections followed in the next year or two.
What is your favourite poem by another poet and why?
That’s difficult. I like poetry more now than I used to, and there are several poets whose work appeals. I tend to listen to Leonard Cohen’s songs more than I read his poems, but he does have a way with lyrics; I mean, ‘the place is dead as Heaven on a Saturday night’ is so great. Hardy’s ‘The Darkling Thrush’ is up there, along with ‘This Be The Verse’ by Phillip Larkin. ‘Pity me not because the light of day’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay and ‘Rubbish at Adultery’ by Sophie Hannah attract, from the serious and the not-so as well. Choice for today, however, has to be ‘Refugee Blues’ by W.H. Auden. It never gets old, unfortunately, and although it’s written around one specific ethnic refugee group it can be applied to the myriad groups in existence before and since it was written; and now, in the 2020s, it feels massively relevant. You can find it here: https://allpoetry.com/refugee-blues
What is your favourite style of poetry and why?
Another difficult question. I don’t have a favourite style as such. I’ll read many different poems, some I’ll like and some I won’t, but the style of writing doesn’t have much bearing on why I like them or not. I do have an author friend, Thomas Leverett, who writes extensively in haiku form, and I loved his E Pluribus Haiku, which feels like travelling around the USA in haiku form. It’s on the link below, if you’re interested.https://www.amazon.com/Pluribus-Haiku-Anthology-3487-ebook/dp/B08X2YRQB2
Which is your favourite of your own poems?
I love them all, some more than others, it has to be admitted. I’ll choose the last one I wrote, however, because it is the last one and about ‘the end’. It’s from Social Climbing and Other Poems, and inspired by Clive Thompson’s photo of the altar of a Greek Orthodox Church.
Due Process
Your case has been a lengthy one; eighty-four years it’s taken, to
observe your less-than-perfect deeds and gather evidence to
aid the prosecution. But now you’ll have your day in court and
the jury gathered here, the Twelve, will finally decide, for or
against, whether you stay righteous here or whether you go down.
You wish to conduct your own defence? No, really, that won’t do, you’ll
be given representation. One of these saintly suits here gathered,
yes, that’s right, the ones with haloed wigs, will intercede for you.
Sorry for the delay; we understand that it’s a real nerve-wracking time for
you, but we can’t begin until His Honour gets here to take His place there,
in the big chair. The witnesses are here for you, plus jury, twelve good men
and true, not to forget the female sex, the immaculate, to try to push
your sins aside and hide you ‘neath their garments of compassion.
But nothing can occur until the God-Father is here; He’s judge
and jury all in one, Divine Justice in person. So please don’t fret,
or maybe do, for He knows you as well as you, and maybe better.
This whole set-up is just for show, to satisfy the need to see the
wheels of justice set in motion; your sentence fixed already,
your judgement day is here.
And here Our Father approaches now.
The court will rise …
Tell us a bit about your book, Social Climbing and other poems – what is the inspiration for the collection?
At the time I was friends with a photographer, Clive Thompson, and one of his pictures inspired a poem – ‘So This is Christmas’, which I recently published on my blog. Clive then allowed me to put together a book of my poems written to the prompts of some of his pictures.
What’s next for Laura Lyndhurst in the world of writing?
No more poetry, I’m afraid; nothing planned, at any rate, but if something occurs then I’ll be putting it together. At present I’m editing my latest novel, a whodunnit of sorts; a new departure for me, sort-of, because although I like adding a bit of a mystery to some of my stories this will be the first time I’ve brought the police in to investigate. It’s more focussed on before the murder, the personalities involved and their potential motivations. After that I’ll see what else occurs to me.
Many thanks for interviewing me. I’ve enjoyed it very much.
My review of SOCIAL CLIMBING: and Other Poems
When I saw the cover of this collection, the shiny, red high heeled shoes against a white background, it reminded me of the movie, The Devil Wears Prada featuring Merril Streep and I was completely fascinated. I was not disappointed as this interesting collection of freestyle poems is a head on collision with an array of social situations, many of which are uncomfortable.
“The sit inside and watch the show, these Parisian fans of opera; but we,
lacking the means to buy the tickets for the red-plush, well-upholstered
seats and ornate murals, gilt-decked swirls and whirls of rococo decor,
prefer to take our entertainment in quite another way. Out here in the street”
from Street Theatre
Laura slices to the heart of human emotions and frustrations and these poetic expressions resonated with me. One poem I particularly delighted over is “I don’t know much about art but I know what I like”.
“So I’m breaking out of normalcy,
gone so very Modernisth,
this El Greco’s got his paintbox out
and given life a twist.”
Honestly, this poem made me laugh until I cried. Fantastic!
Each poem is introduced with a beautiful colour photograph by photographer, Clive Thompson.
Do yourself a favour, purchase this collection and allow Laura to put your life in perspective for you.
About Laura Lyndhurst
Laura Lyndhurst was born and grew up in North London, England, before marrying and travelling with her husband in the course of his career.
When settled back in the UK she became a mature student and gained Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English and Literature before training and working as a teacher.
She started writing in the last few years in the peace and quiet of rural Lincolnshire, and published her debut novel, Fairytales Don’t Come True, in May 2020. This book forms the first of a trilogy, Criminal Conversation, of which the second is Degenerate, Regenerate and All That We Are Heir To the third. Innocent, Guilty, the first of another trilogy, continues the story told in these three books and leads on to The Future of Our House, which is followed by Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out as the sixth and final book to end the series. An Honourable Institution was published as a stand-alone novel in January 2025, as was The Guilty Party in September 2025.
Laura also developed a taste for psychological suspense, which led to the writing and publication of You Know What You Did, to which What Else Did You Do? is the sequel.
Laura has also published four small books of poems, October Poems, Thanksgiving Poems and Prose Pieces, Poet-Pourri and Social Climbing and Other Poems.
Find Laura Lyndhurst
Website: https://booksthatmakeyouthink2.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.lyndhurst (personal profile)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauralyndhurstauthor/ (author profile)
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Laura-Lyndhurst/author/B088QFJJ3Q
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20336562.Laura_Lyndhurst
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyndhurstlauraauthor/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/lyndhurstlaura/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alectrona47
About Robbie Cheadle
South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
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This segment of “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and the Poetry Treasures series.
Get Your Copy Today!
Poetry Treasures: https://books2read.com/PoetryTreasures
Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships: https://books2read.com/PT2-Relationships
Poetry Treasures 3: Passions: https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR
Poetry Treasures 4:In Touch With Nature: https://books2read.com/PT4-Nature
Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures
