Cockleshells – A Book of People Poetry by Tricia Sturgeon

Tricia Sturgeon’s latest book of poetry, Cockleshells, is inspiring; it provokes readers into delving into their thoughts as she discusses an array of life events and the emotions. Her new collection is a wonderful gathering of poems that leaves a sensation of warmth and contentment – a success for a woman no stranger to accomplishment.

Her compilation is split into five sub-sections, all offering a variety of emotions. Whilst at times her work seems monotonous in tone and message, this does not take away from the beauty of what she puts on paper. In her first section, Dreaming, Sturgeon showcases her linguistic ability, highlighting the charm and wonder of dreams and fantasy. The stand-out poem here is Decades, which explores the idea of time and allows individuals to reflect on their own lives, what they have achieved so far, and what can still be achieved in the grand scheme of things. From the same section, Angels is almost innocent, and it is refreshing to read something so gentle and calming.

Midway into her stunning set, she offers a series of humourous poems, contrasting with the seriousness of the earlier works. Healthy Eating is easily relatable, and bound to put a smile on readers’ faces as they spot the endearing similarities with their own lives.

Arguably her best work comes later on as her General and Narrative Poems become more natural and she reaches her stride. Both Written in the Stars and Gift of Love may be comparatively brief, but she expresses her innermost feelings, ultimately creating a connection with those reading. There is a pattern of short but effective poems that are refreshingly straight to the point, instead of being tediously hyperbolic and romanticised.

Lauren Shean

Cockleshells: A Book of People Poetry is published by Pegasus Publishers at the paperback price of £8.99. For further information visit here.