For some loves never blossom, yet leave their perfume still ( a poem about unrequited love)

 

I loved you like a lantern

left burning through the night—

a small and steadfast promise

you never saw for light.

I carried all your sorrows

like secrets in my sleeve,

hoping you might notice

how gently I would grieve.

You spoke of distant futures

I’d never be a part,

drawing maps upon the table

with no room for my heart.

Still I stayed, a muted shoreline

for waves that weren’t my own,

learning how devotion

can make a house of stone.

And though you never meant it,

your absence grew a thorn—

a bloom of wanting, aching

for a love not yet born.

So now I walk without you,

but quietly, I keep

the echo of that almost

folded where I sleep.

For some loves never blossom,

yet leave their perfume still—

the scent of something tender

that never had its will.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

A PASSENGER IS MISSING...BUT WAS SHE EVER ON BOARD AT ALL?

This was meant to be the perfect trip. The Northern lights. A luxury press launch on a boutique cruise ship. A chance for travel journalist Lo Blacklock to recover from a traumatic break-in that has left her on the verge of collapse.

Except things don’t go as planned.

Woken in the night by screams, Lo rushes to her window to see a body thrown overboard from the next-door cabin. But the records show that no-one ever checked in to that cabin, and no passengers are missing from the boat.

Exhausted and emotional, Lo has to face the fact that she may have made a mistake –- either that, or she is now trapped on a boat with a murderer...

Amazon

Review

Reading The Woman in Cabin 10 is like boarding a luxury cruise where the dress code is “mild paranoia” and the cocktails come shaken with a twist of suspense. Ruth Ware delivers a deliciously atmospheric mystery that had me side-eyeing every closed door and reflective surface in my house.

Our heroine, Lo Blacklock, may not be having the best week of her life, but she is absolutely having one of the most entertaining. Between mysterious noises, disappearing women, and the kind of cruise guests who all seem suspiciously well dressed, this book hands you clue after clue like confetti.

And let’s be honest: the book is absolutely better than the movie—because in my head, every wave crash is perfectly timed, every hallway is more ominous, and Lo’s internal monologue is Oscar-worthy. 

Ware keeps the suspense humming with a clever blend of “wait, WHAT?” moments and just-believable-enough twists that keep you flipping pages like you’re trying to fan yourself through the tension. It’s fun, it’s creepy, and it’s the exact right amount of dramatic.

Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key, One by One and The It Girl have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times, and she is published in more than 40 languages. She lives on the south coast of England, with her family.

Visit www.ruthware.com to find out more, or find her on facebook or twitter as @RuthWareWriter

Some say (a poem about grief)

 

In the quiet of the garden

where the soft light filters through,

a robin lands so gently

as the dawn remembers you.

Her breast, a flame of ember,

glows against the morning chill—

a tiny, beating reminder

that love outlives the still.

She hops along the pathway

you once wandered every spring,

pausing where the lilacs bloom

to loose a trembling wing.

And in her patient singing

I hear the echo of your name—

a whisper shaped in feathers,

tender, timeless, never tame.

Some say robins carry messages

from those we’ve had to lose;

so I listen in the garden

as she hums your borrowed news.

And for a breath, the world grows light—

grief softens at the seam;

the robin holds you close to me,

as real as any dream.

About Me

 

Hello and welcome! I’m a lifelong book lover, word collector, and enthusiastic page-turner who believes a good story can brighten any day. This little corner of the internet is where I share the things I love most: book reviews, book excerpts, and the occasional poem that wanders into my mind and refuses to leave.

I read widely and happily—mysteries, historical fiction, romance, fantasy, time-slips, you name it. If it has compelling characters, a twisty plot, or a line that makes me gasp or giggle, I’m in. My reviews are always honest, lighthearted, and written with readers in mind. Think of them as friendly conversations over a cup of tea (or coffee… or chocolate).

You’ll also find curated book excerpts to give you a taste of new stories worth discovering. And because I can never resist the pull of a blank page, I share original poetry—sometimes thoughtful, sometimes playful, always from the heart.

My goal? To celebrate storytelling in all its forms and to help you find your next favorite read.

Whether you’re here to explore reviews, fall into a new book, or enjoy a poem or two, I’m so glad you stopped by. Let’s turn the page together.

And remember the book is always better! 

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