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.

I Refilled My Cracked Inkwell

I will be running a book stall at the Clunes Book Town Festival in March, one of Australia’s largest all-town book festivals celebrated on Dja Dja Wurrung country in Central Victoria.

An annual celebration of every aspect of storytelling. Join us on March 23 – 24 2024. Running from dawn to dusk in the historic township of Clunes in Regional Victoria. A two-day festival full of author and artist talks, workshops, and live entertainment for the whole family. Discover the outdoor book bazaar with over a hundred stall holders and immerse yourself in Clunes from cover to cover.

And over at Weekly Prompts, the Wednesday Challenge is the theme: Hobbies. You can visit their wonderful Site by Clicking on >> Here and of course, my “Hobby” is writing poetry

I Refilled My Cracked Inkwell

I am tacking toward the unknown

I will carry pockets full of hope

And a suitcase packed with books

I threw away the map years ago

When I refilled my cracked ink well

And rehabilitated my Tullawalla Story

I am leaving my pet rocks behind

And renovating my vintage quill

To do the anticipated book signings

For my rejuvenated “Tullawalla”

The fascinating ekphrastic collaboration “Perceptions”

And my new evocative book “Until Eyes Hear Sound”

Please Note: The 3 cover designs are by, Kerri Costello

Until Eyes Hear Sound, will be available in March

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) January 2024

Destiny and Shame Await. is in this Week’s Coffee Writers Magazine

Hello dear readers and followers, I am again writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “Destiny and Shame Await”, 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.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/destiny-and-shame-await/

Daniel Norgren’s video/song below inspired me to write these reflective words …

The Last Encore

I am standing on the diminishing foreshore
Staring at that missing ground floor
“Like there was a door”
Between here and the last encore … Ivor

Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

The Sound of Time (a Tanka), and The Last Encore

“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else” … Emily Dickinson

Rising moonlight hears the sound of the setting sunlight

The Sound of Time (a Tanka)

I am thinking why

“Is time, such a patient guy?”

I’m always writing

Anything that comes to mind

“Does time hear the sound of light?”

The Last Encore

I am standing on the diminishing foreshore

Staring at that missing ground floor

“Like there was a door”

Between here and the last encore

Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

A Bluestone Breakwater (a Haiku)

A Haiku that was inspired by Cassa’s (Flicker of Thoughts) fascinating article “Graffiti Rocks” >> https://flickerofthoughts.com/2024/01/12/griffiti-rocks/
Please Note: all photos in today’s post were taken by Cassa and she kindly gave me permission to reproduce them here on my poetry site

A Bluestone Breakwater (a Haiku)

Tablets of bluestone

Enshrouded by chalk and bone

No iPhones in sight

Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

A Star Called Home

A Star Called Home

I am high flying

On the back of Phillip

My mystical fairy Penguin

I am the co-pilot

As we zoom over the halfway marker

That line in the sand

Now, there is no turning back

We are a dynamic duo

Wholeheartedly committed

To fulfill our dreams

Ungainly we may be

As we skim above the deepest sea

Toward the blue horizon

Chasing the cosmic sky

Looking for a star called home

Ivor’s Utopia

“If you actually succeed in creating a utopia, you’ve created a world without conflict, in which everything is perfect. And if there’s no conflict, there are no stories worth telling – or reading!” … Veronica Roth

Ivor’s Utopia

A world made of sunflower seeds
And musical water reeds

A world without greed
No wars and plenty of feed

Where people don’t have to bleed
For being judged an alienated breed

Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

Throwback Friday, Morning Starshine

Today’s Throwback Friday poem is a hidden gem from March 2018, and as is my way, I have made some changes, all for the better I hope …

Morning Starshine (Revised)

asleep, out of view

dawn blazes through

blinds me from above

piercing my dreams of love

uncovering memory heartbeats

exposed to the future’s one-way streets

letters sprinkle over my pillow

etching words upon yesterday’s halo

“reflective pages and blotches

wooden posts and hollow notches

under cracked foundation blocks

narrow jargon and hidden plots

inside poems of mine

glazed with her starshine“

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) January 2024

One Go!

Over at Weekly Prompts the Wednesday Challenge is the word: Weather . You may visit their wonderful site by clicking on >> Here

My poem, although not about the ‘weather’, the ‘Sun and snow’ do get a mentioned …

One Go!

All easier said than done

That is what I said to mum

But now I know

Between our days

Under the sun

And that final day

Buried in snow

We only get one go