The Portrait That Found Me

“I wish I could say everything in one word. I hate all the things that can happen between the beginning of a sentence and the end.” … Leonard Cohen

Tonight, at the launch of naXOs — Geelong Writers’ new anthology of resonant, experimental poetry — I was invited to read my piece The Portrait That Found Me. Now that the book is in my hands, I’m delighted to share the poem here as it appears in the collection. It grew from a quiet, unexpected moment, the kind of encounter that shifts its own boundaries and finds you before you find it — a fitting addition to an anthology that celebrates fresh connections through image, language, and form.

Moments from tonight’s naXOs anthology launch — my reading of The Portrait That Found Me, shared among friends, voices, and a generous audience.

The poem as published in the naXOs anthology.

And to end the night, a final nod to the voice that steadied my steps — Leonard Cohen, Field Commander of the tender and true

Ivor Steven ©  August 2026