The Artful Lodger and Other Poems

Heather Pickering's delightful collection of forty-plus poems take us through the magic scale of human experience and emotion, from the treasures - and fears - in 'Auntie's Attic' to the mystery of a fortune-teller at a fair (was she really there?), the hilarious indignities of 'Inconvenience' (tea and porcelain), and the pitfalls of middle-aged dating ('Lonely Hearts') and long-term partnerships ('The Other Point of View'). Sometimes the author touches on tragedy ('The Mystery of the Boy who Jumped' and 'Road Kill'), but is contented in the main to rejoice in the things we love ('Dawn Chorus' and 'Bianca'), comment wryly on the plagues of modern life ('Plane Speaking'), and retreat to that special place, the inner landscape of words and their wonderful poetic possibilities. Here is a collection to treasure, a book to dip into and keep on the bedside table, a cheerful companion in a quiet hour to act as balm on a fevered brow.