Today’s Throwback poem is a rewrite of an old piece called “Paper Tigers” (Feb 2019)


The Poet’s Grotto
My writer’s studio, is the littered part of my bedroom
A paper tigerβs haven, has become a messy grotto
I am ruefully feeling muddled and befuddled
Pieces of paper and cardboard kites
Scatter the atmosphere like withered autumn leaves
Falling upon my untidy and cluttered archives
Scribbled words are yet to be decoded
Foolscap pages overwritten and eroded
Undefined and unlisted
Out of focus and twisted
Upside down and inside out
Uncategorized and full of self-doubt
My desk’s dreamy picture postcard
Looks like a moonscapeβs junkyard
My poetic writing quill has been the mythological ruler
Showing no regard for my bedroomβs demeanour
I am sleeping covered in my hurdy gurdy verses
I cannot penetrate the stack of obscure foreign addresses
It is time to cast out the pretentious cosmic curses
Free myself of all unpublished jabberwocky
And let my imagination create a new poetic hard copy
Ivor Steven (c) October 2023

A very vivid picture of a writerβs world
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Thanks Sadje β¦ yes just a writing/computer desk tucked in tightly beside my bed β¦ my writing world is a small area inside a small villa ππ
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Youβre welcome ππΌππΌππΌ
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Words flow out of there like magic
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The Wizard of Ozβs grotto
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right )
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I love your poem, Ivor but oh my goodness, how do you manage to organise your work amidst the jumble. π
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Hahaβ¦ I sleep on it, seems betterer in the morningβ¦ Oh β¦ I hand wrote a poem at my writing group today β¦ I tried the microphone π€ dictation again and it turned out ok β¦ without me having to do much typing β¦ Iβll be posting the piece later, called βEither Wayβ .. ππππ€π
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Wonderful description
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Thank you Derrick β¦ Iβm not sure whether itβs messier, or Iβm getting better at describing the situation πππ
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I love seeing an artist’s creative space! Keep letting your imagination flow! π
“I am sleeping covered in my hurdy gurdy verses…” – Ivor
Lovely!!! π
(((HUGS))) β€οΈπππ»β€οΈ
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Thanks Carolyn β¦ my studio is only a piece of micro space but full of imagination ππππππ
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your secret lair
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A very compact secret lair
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Wonderful description and photos of your special writing place, Ivor. Thank you for sharing it with us. Love the poem! β€ I have also enjoyed your posts about the cafe where you often eat cake and write, and I know that gentleman, Frankie, loves going with you. π
In my "den," I write on my laptop sitting on an adjustable bed, drinking tea and viewing the outside world and the birds through several windows. It is my hideaway while Robert is still sleeping undisturbed on the other side of the house.
This is where I eat my lunch while watching the news, talk with my family members on the phone, and watch TV until midnight with Robert. I don't normally sleep here, but if I can't sleep, I come here, so as not to disturb Robert. I do try to keep ahead of the clutter and dust, but very often fail. π
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Thank you for your insightful comments Cheryl β¦ my single bedroom villa is small but comfy β¦ my bedroom is my computer/studio and library/bookcaseβ¦ quite compact but my personal microspace is this poets writing haven β¦ and outings to the cafe make for a pleasant and relaxing experience to do my writing βοΈ ππππ
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Love the poem, but I couldnβt work if my space was so cluttered! Too distracting!
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Thank you π haha, my note pages continue to clutter and flutter around in my tiny work area β¦ but I suppose Iβm a bit of a nutter ππ
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My sister is the same way. A brilliant artist that is not hindered by a messy workspace. haha
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Our messy
Feels dressy
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