Crack. Crack. Crack.
Crushing of the beans, the aroma in the room
subconsciously embrace that nutty taste.
Lured in by comfy seats,
take cover from the rain.
Smooth instrumentals, poetry to the ears.
Orders taken, quiet chatting,
sipping a daily coffee.
An eternal warmth, a lasting flavour,
instant relaxation.
Public but private
Indulge with great company,
A home away from home
A warm welcome, perfecting techniques,
An experience not to be missed.
Delicate and fair like a rose
Declaring thy absolute love
Cupid’s effective love thus shows
Delicate and fair like a rose
Lured into love by thy prose
Thy love is pure from above
Delicate and fair like a rose
Declaring thy absolute love
Thoughtfully written and a pleasure to read. The Shock of the Fall, by Nathan Filer has won the Costa Coffee Book awards 2013 and it could not have been more deserved. Matthew Holmes retells the story of his childhood and his battles with his illness. Matthew’s story focuses on the loss of his brother Simon and the way in which he grieves. The innocence of Matthew shines through the novel, which in return, makes his character’s childhood more relatable.
The novel is written in a variety of formats, making Nathan Filer’s first novel seem truly original. If you prefer reading diary entries or letters within a book then this book will have you hooked. Filer’s novel can read like a diary whilst the layout maintains the structure of a novel. Although the main structure is novel-like; paragraphs and chapters use various formats such as font sizes and styles, repetition and drawings to help describe Matthew’s story. Here is a small piece of The Shock of the Fall in which the Daily Telegraph describes as ‘bittersweet and wonderfully etched.’
‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce you to my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in 
a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’
Although Matthew’s illness and grief are significant elements in this novel, it is Matthew’s actions that truly make this novel so moving.
I personally feel that it is a must read, however if you wish to have a look at the Daily Telegraph’s review then please feel free to here.
This poem was created from an ekphrasis exercise in Mima at Middlesbrough. The poem hopes to portray William Tillyer’s The Balcony 7. My interpretation of Tillyer’s painting was inspired by experiences with nature and what emotions may occur. Here is Tillyer’s exhibition, including The Balcony 7, hopefully this will help with the understanding of the poem. William Tillyer’s exhibition
The Balcony
Sun departs
Warm embrace remains,
Immersed in greenery
Branches blow,
Stream flowing beyond sight’s reach,
Resting, nature sleeps
Let it be whilst I return to the working day.
Although my baking is a work of art
I want love with a man instead of cake
I want a tall handsome man that’s not fake
That would be a really great place to start
O how long can love seriously take?
My man has to give all the girls heartache
And with some manners that are off the chart
I want love with a man instead of cake
We would then have a picnic by the lake
He would surprise me with strawberry tart
O how long can love seriously take?
Please, please Cupid can you give me a break?
You know how I like them, brown-eyed and smart
I want love with a man instead of cake
I’m starting to go crazy, for God’s sake!
I want to feel love before I depart
O how long can love seriously take?
I want love with a man instead of cake
first of all thanks for taking an interest in my blog as I hope to inspire others as they have inspired me. In this blog I will be writing short stories, small descriptions, poetry etc in the hope of finding out what the public think of my work. Don’t hold back and enjoy.
Charlotte Anne Barker 