Month: May 2022

Throwback Friday, Waiting Time, by Ivor Steven

Readers who follow my blog site would know that I attended an Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop during the week, and my poem here today is from a previous Ekphrastic workshop that I went to, in September 2018

ivor20's avatarGo Dog Go Café

Readers who follow my blog site would know that I attended an Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop during the week, and my poem here today is from a previous Ekphrastic workshop that I went to, in September 2018

Above is the Chapbook published by Geelong Writers, and the magnificent painting by Graeme Altmann, that inspired my poem ‘Waiting Time’

Waiting Time

I’m a time-traveler on a mission

Waiting for a personal vision

An image of my father’s ghost

To appear above the white-water coast

Millenniums ago, I delivered him to the ocean

Threw his ashes across the horizon

Away from faceless time-clocks

Away from hidden jagged rocks

Now I see him, proudly standing afloat

Wondering, who’s left to row the boat

Waiting for the breeze, without a sail

Seeking his passage through soundless hail

Beyond tumbling waves, a prism of light

Waiting stops, his alien spirit soars tonight

Ivor Steven (c) Sept…

View original post 107 more words

A Banner Of Sunflowers

Continuing on from yesterday’s Ekphrastic poetry workshop, here is my poetic response to Shirley Drayton’s creative piece of textile artwork “Golden Sunflowers”

A Banner Of Sunflowers


look!

up there

above the War’s

darkest clouds

there is a blue banner

embroided with sunflowers

swaying

through a hole

in the eastern sky


bearing a message

of ‘Hello’

or is it ‘Goodbye’?

a sweeping reminder

from our Ancestors

“we feel your suffering and pain

from the merciless hard rain

blood filled rivers and cratered plains

smoke filled skylines and cracked windowpanes”


“however, we also know

beyond the broken horizon

the sunflower seeds of hope

will germinate again

and future seeds for peace

will regenerate a new campaign“






Ivor Steven (c) May 2022

The Foundry Pottery Studio


Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop

Today I was invited to participate in a special poetry workshop where we could use one (or more) of the works of art on display as a prompt for the creation of a poetic response (the products of visual artists begetting products of a literary art!). The workshop was facilitated in situ at The Foundry Pottery Studio exhibition venue.

We have been given a few days to create our poems in response to the fascinating exhibition, and tonight I am presenting the photos I took at the rustic and interesting venue.

Featured Image Above: “Golden Sunflowers”, Shirley Drayton, Textile Art, the piece I have chosen to write about








Ivor Steven (c) May 2022

Back On The Tools

Sorry reader and followers for my lack of blogging today (and tomorrow) … The old poet traded his quill in this morning (and again tomorrow), for his old rusty spanner and diirty hammer ..




Back On The Tools. (adapted from “An Old-time Plumber”)


Could I actually do the task?

Am I physically strong enough?

Am I mentally sharp and stable enough?

To endure two days of hard work?


Surprise, surprise, I survived day one

Job nearly completed and clients suitably pleased

And I am home enjoying a red wine

Although when I finished it was almost dark

And my back was stiff as red-gum bark

But a job stamped by my old-time quality trademark



Sunflower Seeds (a Tanka)

Over at Weekly Prompts, the monthly Colour Challenge for May is:  Mellow Yellow. Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here . Below is my “Tanka” response to their ‘Colour Prompt’ ..



Sunflower Seeds (a Tanka)



Blue skies were mellow

Fields were peaceful and yellow

Sunflowers grew free

Then foreign tanks squashed their seeds

On tomorrow’s scarred harrows






Ivor Steven (c) May 2022

Promote Yourself Mondays, May 9, 2022

Dear readers and followers, here’s a great opportunity for your writings to be read by other writers, and also to find and meet other writers. You are very welcome to participate, come along and visit our writer friendly site…..by clicking on the link at the bottom of this article >>
View Original Post…

Donna Matthews's avatarGo Dog Go Café

Welcome toPromote Yourself Monday. All Go Dog Go Cafe community members are invited to postonelink to one specific piece of their writing (600 words or less please!) they have published on their blog, Facebook page, or Instagram feed into the comments section below.

If you post a link, be sure to read some of the other great writing people have linked to.

View original post

Throwback Friday, Memories and Rhymes, by Ivor Steven

The wonderful memories shall always live on ..

ivor20's avatarGo Dog Go Café

Today I am presenting my poem “Memories and Rhymes”, which I wrote five years ago to commemerate the 5th anniversary of Carole’s passing, and now all so quickly, it is ten years after her passing …

Memories and Rhymes

My inner vacuum’s full

Of earth and sky

Laying in my void

I watch my universe pass on by

My lonely heart’s full

Of love and grace

Laying upon evening dew

I watch my star shine in space

My empty hands are full

Of memories and rhymes

Resting in my bed

I watch my dreams fall on lines

Ivor Steven (c) May 2017

G’day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I’m an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those personal thoughts, throughout…

View original post 58 more words