Author: ivor20

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 and beyond my life as a Carer. I've been blogging for over 2 years, and writing poems for 19 years. Of course a lot of my poems are about my favourite subject Carole, but since I've been blogging my writings have become quite varied, humourous, mystical, observational, and even a few monster/horror poems.

Throwback Friday, Time and the Sea

A piece I wrote on February 7th 2019. I was in Hospital recovering from my 3rd stroke (a minor one), but it was only 2 months since my previous stroke, and I was wandering around the place like a becalmed sailing ship waiting for the winds of change to send me home … The music I listened to during my stay, were mainly two Icelandic Bands, Sigur Ros, & Solstafir … I didn’t understand the lyrics, but the music seemed to be grand for my anxiety level …

Time and the Sea

There’s wasted time, hours and days gone

My time, between one procedure and the next

Time to explore this healing castle

Time to chat, to eager listener’s

Time to write, about realities and dreams

Time to observe the people’s living within

Time to think about the world’s problems

Time to visualise pictures of tomorrow

I’m not a patient in his bed

I’m free standing and waiting instead

I’m a walking and talking local poet

I’m not allowed to vacate the site

They want me near, to study my plight

They want me here, to secure my bed

They need me near, to look into my mind

They need me here, so I’m easy to find

Solstafir “Midaftann”

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/mi%C3%B0aftann-mid-evening.html

Mid-Evening

Now I have come home
After a journey on the deep seas.
The wave was so high,
The saltiness ate everything up.
I drowned in a black hole,
I pulled at the hand of death.
So high, it was so high,
And the moon lighted a path, yes the moon high in the sky,
And the moon lighted a path, yes the moon lighted a path.
So high, so high, wave of the sins, wave of the sins.

Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Wet Ground (a Haiku)

Wet Ground (a Haiku)

Sam the snail slithers

And slides over the wet ground

Clouds sound loud and grey

Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Dragonflies and Butterflies (a Tanka)

Dragonflies and Butterflies (a Tanka)

In my garden chair

Royalty floats beside me

Regal dragonflies

And majestic butterflies

Hover in front of my eyes

Tullawalla is Available From

Jaymah Press:https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/

Ivor Steven: email, ivorrs20@gmail.com

Amazon: search via, ‘Tullawalla by Ivor Steven’

AND
Perceptions is Now Available via:

Amazon: https://amzn.asia/d/4yFHWrT

Jaymah Press: https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/

Lulu Books: https://www.lulu.com/shop/ivor-steven-and-derrick-knight/perceptions/hardcover/product-2pwqe4.html?q=Perceptions+by+Ivor+Steven&page=1&pageSize=4

OR: email me directly for a signed copy – ivorrs20@gmail.com

Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Nightfall (a Musette), is this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine

Hello dear readers and followers, I am now writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “Nightfall (a Musette)”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the article, at Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> Nightfall – Coffee House Writers

Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Ivor’s Books Stall

An enjoyable evening was had by all …
And over at Weekly Prompts, the Colour Challenge for December is: Red. To visit their fabulous site please click on >> Here
My Book stall was at the “Geelong Laneways Christmas Twilight Market”

Ivor’s Books Stall

I caught a bus into the city

My books, props, and meal

Fitted neat and tidy

Into my case on wheels

The weather was fine and mild

The anticipated crowd did arrive

All smiling like Destiny’s Child

And buzzed from stall to stall

Like busy bees in a hive

I had loads of interested views

And I sold several books

There were over fifty creative displays

Up and down the Avenue

And the festival entertainers

Attracted oodles of bemused looks

Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Not Just Another Day (a Lanterne), Published in Geelong Writers Inc. AnoMaly Street, Chapbook

Thank you to the editor, Jo, and her team, for selecting my piece in the Geelong Writers Inc. “AnoMaly Street”, Chapbook, Poetry With A Difference, Volume 2, No. 2

A Lanterne is a cinquain form of poetry, in which the first line has one syllable and each subsequent line increases in length by one syllable, except for the final line that concludes the poem with one syllable. Its name derives from the lantern shape that appears when the poem is aligned to the center of the page.

Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Balance

Hello dear readers, I’ve just arrived back home after my evening out at the “Twilight Market” event … For me, the night was a balancing act between my general tiredness and my willingness to participate in the event. Good news, I managed to run my stall ok, but now this little old hero is on the tired end of the “seesaw” … 😴
The poem “Balance” is in “Our” book Perceptions (page 5), and the Featured Image Above, was taken by Derrick Knight >> https://derrickjknight.com/2020/07/14/keeping-its-balance/

Balance

There is a distant shore
Between why and when
Life is a seesaw
Between hero’s and heroine’s

There is a balance
Between ups and downs
Life is a challenge
Between smiles and frowns

There is a common ground
Between storms and calmness
Life is a humming sound
Between love and blindness

Tullawalla is Available From

Jaymah Press:https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/

Ivor Steven: email, ivorrs20@gmail.com

Amazon: search via, ‘Tullawalla by Ivor Steven’

AND
Perceptions is Now Available via:

Amazon: https://amzn.asia/d/4yFHWrT

Jaymah Press: https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/

Lulu Books: https://www.lulu.com/shop/ivor-steven-and-derrick-knight/perceptions/hardcover/product-2pwqe4.html?q=Perceptions+by+Ivor+Steven&page=1&pageSize=4

OR: email me directly for a signed copy – ivorrs20@gmail.com

Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Throwback Friday, Time Watches Over Us

Todays Throwback Friday poem is from Dec 1st 2021, and appears in “Our” colourful Book “Perceptions” (page 25)

Featured Image Above, is one of Derrick Knight’s fabulous photos [ https://derrickjknight.com/ ]

Time Watches Over Us

ours is not to reason why
for we are merely a fly
in the bigger sky
just passing by

however!

we do not stop learning
because every day
teaches us something new

and!

we cannot cease loving
because every day
our universe
creates something new
for us to love

yes!

the wheels of time
do not stop turning
and grandfather clocks
do not stop chiming

Ivor Steven (c) December 1st 2023

A Twilight Christmas Market

Hi dear readers and Especially my Geelong Followers, Come along to the Centrepoint Arcade on Friday 1st December, 5 pm – 9 pm, and say hello. I’ll be there at “Ivor’s Books” stall with my books “Tullawalla & Perceptions” and various other Anthologies and Chapbooks … they could be that “Something Different” gift idea for Christmas.