A Strange Time in Life

By Carol Jones

This collection of poetry was written between April 2020 and October 2021, during the various lockdowns and attempts to carry on with life in some manner in circumstances that were very challenging. The poem that started it all was written when I heard that my ex-husband had been involved in an accident while riding his bike. After that I continued to write about my experiences during this period. Being allowed out for exercise, I started walking around local parks and a nearby lake. I photographed the birds and wildlife I came across and, as the seasons changed, so did the colours of the plants and trees, as they went through their annual journey of new blooms and shiny green leaves to the falling brown of autumn. This is what inspired many of the poems in the book. There are other poems that came from memories and thoughts of films and music I had enjoyed. There was a lot of time for reflection and I am glad that I put all of my thoughts down on paper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398480308

Carol Jones

Born in Brisbane, Australia, Carol Jones taught English and Drama at secondary schools before working as an editor of children's magazines. She is the author of several young adult novels as well as children's non-fiction. caroljonesauthor.com

Book preview

About the Author

Carol Jones was born in Leicester in 1954. After leaving a local grammar school at the age of 16 Carol had a variety of jobs and travelled a great deal, sometimes penning poems for her own pleasure. It was not until 2020 and the lockdown that affected the entire world that she began to write poems regularly about the things that were affecting her and how she viewed the world around, turning to nature as she had always found nature reassuring as a child.

Dedication

For Alan William Jones who will never know how he inspired me to write.

Copyright Information ©

Carol Jones 2023

The right of Carol Jones to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398480285 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398480292 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781398480308 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

The Life Rooms, The Everyman Playhouse Liverpool, The Learning Team at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and The Canal and River Trust. All these organisations worked together to provide online sessions for wellbeing and these provided the inspiration for much of this book.

A Poem for a Great Loss

It’s late in the day

It’s late in a lifetime

There is much to reflect on

There is much more to say

Memories vary

From person to person

Clarity comes with time to look back

See what you didn’t see at the time

Dismiss the negative

It no longer matters

Remember the positive

The joy that was shared

The times when helpless with laughter

Tears streaming down faces

Unable to stop

Pictures are snapshots

Reminders to jog

Our memories that

Were lost in the fog

Now looking back

Hearing a song

Seeing an old