My lost boy, by J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb, Book 1 of the award-winning Twisted Climb series

Covid has brought about many changes to family life. Routines have been upended, patience has been tested, relationships have become stronger, or in some cases, weaker. Physical limitations have strained many a family, including mine. However, even before Covid came about, I was slowly wilting under the estrangement of my oldest son who is in his 30s. I don’t know what I did but it doesn’t seem to matter. He just doesn’t want any part of me. I wither inside.

As many writers do to unlock the emotion within, I took pen to paper (literally), and wrote this poem.

My lost boy

The first breath

The first cry

The joy in my heart

I cannot lie

He was beauty and perfection

Wrapped in cotton so fine

My first-born son

Graced my life and my family

A wee little brother for a loving big sister

The years flew by

And my baby shed his baby

He became a young boy

A big talker

A better skater

Hockey was his fuel

His talent seemed limitless

Scouts came a-watching

Team Canada came a-calling

Until the slam

Until the bam

Until the snapped shoulder

Made his dreams a sham

There was no turning back

There is no ‘undo’

It is what it is

And life goes on

But bitter is the soul

Whose dream was so big

Smashed by a smash

A shoulder no longer seen

Just like the dream

It flitted so brightly

A star in the sky

Dreamt so mightily

The consolation continued, but

The bitterness grew

And became a cement stone

Taking root, growing bold.

Fingers pointed outward, never within

Blame took hold, and joy died within

Where is my boy, my handsome son so fine

He is lost in his darkness, hands over his eyes

My love can’t seem to reach him

Though I try and I try

I will not stop, no, I cannot stop

For a mother’s love and

God’s good grace

Remains unwavering... 

I’m waiting

* * * 

Stay safe everyone. This too, shall pass.

And, on a much lighter note, I do have a great suggestion to pass the time at home this summer - read my award-winning books. If you like action / adventure / suspense / drama and a dash of paranormal, then The Twisted Climb series will take you to all those places. Enjoy!

J.C. Kavanagh, author of

The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2)

voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada

AND

The Twisted Climb,

voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll

Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart

Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh

www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh

Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh)

Regardless, 'Irregardless' Is A Word

Purists of the English language became outraged recently when Merriam-Webster added the word ‘irregardless’ in their dictionary. The word certainly makes no sense, as it is used in the same sense as its parent word, ‘regardless.’

Yet, the word survives in ordinary usage. In fact, according to editors at the Dictionary, it has been “in constant and widespread use since 1795.”

Living languages change and additions to the lexicon occur all the time. The growth of technology is a source of new words, but most can be attributed to changes in culture and usage. This is especially true of colonial languages that have spread around the globe, such as English, which has become the home of thousands of new words from its erstwhile colonies.

Additions to a language or change of usage of words sometimes cause controversy. This occurs many times when slang words, once considered unacceptable, become common usage.

Fortunately, slang words often fade as quickly as they appear. Examples of these include “Cat’s pajamas” and “wallflower.” Indeed, as many old words disappear from common usage as new ones appear.

Here, then, are a few new words added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2019. How many of these do you think will endure the test of time?

Anchor baby: a child born to an immigrant mother living illegally in the United States, and thus qualifying for legal citizenship under U.S. law. 

Angrezi, adj. and n.: English; British.

Apology Tour: a series of speeches, interviews, or other public appearances by a well-known figure (esp. a politician or celebrity), in which he or she apologizes for previous deeds or statements.

Chillax, v.: intransitive. To calm down and relax; to take it easy, to chill. Often in imperative: ‘relax’, ‘calm down’.

Cognitive Dissonance: a state of mental discomfort that occurs when a person holds beliefs, opinions, etc., which are inconsistent, or which conflict with an aspect of his behavior.

Fake News: news that conveys or incorporates false, fabricated, or deliberately misleading information, or that is characterized as or accused of doing so. 

MLE: Multicultural London English.  A variety of English spoken mainly by young people in the multicultural neighborhoods of inner-city London; abbreviated MLE.

Padawan, n.: In the fictional universe of the Star Wars films: an apprentice Jedi. Also (often humorously) in extended and allusive use.

Satoshi, n.: The smallest monetary unit in the Bitcoin digital payment system, equal to one hundred millionth of a bitcoin.

Shits and Giggles: Chiefly North American and Australian. Shits and giggles (also grins): fun or amusement without any serious purpose.

Simpsoned: The act of making questionable decisions causing involvement by local law enforcement.

Wedge Salad: a salad consisting of a wedge of iceberg lettuce served with various toppings, typically blue cheese dressing and bacon.

Whatev, int. and pron.: Used (typically in response to a question or statement) to indicate that the speaker is disinclined to engage with, or is indifferent to, the matter.

Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," a Fantasy and "Karma Nation," a Literary Romance. (www.mohanashtakala.com.) He is published by Books We Love. (www.bookswelove.com.)

Sugar and Spice and...by Sheila Claydon

Click here to find my books at Books We Love

No! I definitely do not feel like this picture of Kerry in my book Double Fault. She was at her wit's end trying to bring up 2 year old twins on her own,  and so missing out on the joy children can bring, whereas I am feeling blissful!

With the partial lifting of the CoronaVirus lockdown in the UK, my house is now full of teenagers, dogs and, not to put too fine a word on it, mess!  There are dog toys all over the conservatory courtesy of the 11 month old puppy, dog beds taken apart with blankets and cushions awry as my own dog attempts to hide her bone, and a muddy towel on the the floor by the garden door because it's been raining and they all know the rule of paws being wiped before they come in.

Then there are the teenagers. With iPhones attached to their hands like an animated extension, their music and chatter has banished the long silence of lockdown. Of course the bathroom is now far from pristine (although they do hang up their towels to dry), and I'm just ignoring their bedrooms until they go home again. There is more washing too. And more housework. But there are many compensations.

The long walks to the beach with all three dogs, the games in the garden, the different meals as they take over the kitchen and make bread, or a club sandwich, or risotto, or soup, are all welcome. They are both good and practising cooks too, so no longer having to provide every meal, as I did for their grandfather and me during lockdown, is a real bonus, even if their clearing up skills still need quite a bit of refinement!

And the conversations! With one a budding biologist who is also testing her political opinions, our discussions range from the interesting to the heated to the downright amusing, while the younger one concentrates on educating us about everything to do with horses and craft projects. We do learn a lot too because, thanks to their permanently available friend Google, they access facts and figures 24/7, and have the sort of conversations with us that their busy, hard-working parents rarely have time for. Hopefully they learn from us too. They seem to because, during lockdown, I had many phone calls from the biologist for advice on setting up a herb garden, while the arty/horsey one sent me regular updates on her painting projects. Today a tie-dye kit is arriving but it'll be staying in it's box until the rain stops as, lovely as it is to have family with us again, I do draw the line at tie-dying indoors!

Then there is the little one in Hong Kong, who should have been with us now but, thanks to CoronaVirus, cannot travel. It doesn't stop her joining us though...often, and loudly. She reads to us via Skype and we manage to play card games too. And now they are all on school vacation she doesn't just call us, she also calls her cousins, making it possible for all of them to maintain a relationship despite the distance.

In other words I prefer the mess, noise and busyness that comes with having young people around to the peace and quiet we enjoyed during lockdown. And eventually, Kerry in Double Fault was able to do that too. That's the good thing about happy endings!