I planted sunflower seeds in my courtyard garden this afternoon, which prompted me to post today’s Throwback Friday poem, “A Banner of Sunflowers”. The poem originally stems from a Geelong Writers Ekphrastic poetry workshop, in May 2022, and this was my poetic response to Shirley Draytonโs creative piece of textile artwork โGolden Sunflowersโ.
Please Note: the poem also appears in my book “Until Eyes Hear Sound”, in Chapter 6, War! Without Peace? on page 86.
A Banner Of Sunflowers
look!
up there
above the Warโs
darkest clouds
there is a blue banner
embroidered with sunflowers
swaying
through a hole
in the eastern sky
bearing a message
of โHelloโ
or is it โGoodbyeโ?
a sweeping reminder
from our Ancestors
โwe feel your suffering and pain
from the merciless hard rain
blood-filled rivers and cratered plains
smoke-filled skylines and cracked windowpanesโ
โhowever, we also know
beyond the broken horizon
the sunflower plants of hope
will germinate again
and future seeds for peace
will regenerate a new campaignโ


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Lulu Booksย >> ย Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)
Perceptions:
Amazonย >> ย Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Booksย >> ย Perceptions (lulu.com)
Tullawalla:
Amazonย >>ย Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books
OR:ย >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com
Ivor Steven (c) October 2024

this is beautiful Ivor ๐
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Thank you very much Willow ๐๐๐
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Bravo, Ivor. The video is incredible
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Thank you VJ โฆ I stumbled upon it today โฆ ๐ถ๐๐๐
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Iโve been away for a while, but what a lovely way to come back!
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Welcome back and thank you for your lovely words ๐๐๐
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โค๏ธ
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such a gorgeous poem Ivor! โค
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Thank you very much for your kind words Carol ๐๐๐๐
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A beautiful poem full of hope, peace and love, dear Ivor. Excellent video.
๐โ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ผ๐๐ปโ๐ผ๐
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Thank you for your beautiful words Nancy … although I didn’t understand the lyrics, visually the video is very moving … ๐๐๐๐ต
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That it was, Ivor! ๐ถ
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makes me feel hopeful
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Lovely.
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Thank you ๐๐๐
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Wishing for peace
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We all are , Sadje โฎ๏ธ๐
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๐๐๐
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A heart-touching post (artwork, poem, and vid/music)!
Hoping and praying for peace in places of war…and world-wide, too.
(((HUGS))) ๐บ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ป
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Hi Ivor, this really is a wonderful poem. Huge congratulations.
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Thank you very much,Robbie โฆ the piece of fabric artwork that I chose for my Ekphrastic poem was captured my imagination โฆ ๐๐โ๏ธ๐
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๐ป๐
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Lovely peace is the most important topic actually!
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Hi! Trying to grow my blog. Follow for follow back? Sincerely, Mikayla Scotlynd Littrell (MetsMadness the blog)๐
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