An Old Plumber, An Ex-Carer, An Amateur Poet, Words From The Heart
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.
Early Friday morning in Launceston and we going to Wynyard, the main mission of adventure in Tasmania
Launceston 8.30 am … and the green hills via Frankfort on the way to Devonport
More green rolling hills and then a refreshment break at Devonport … Terri and Maureen
Next stop Penguin (my choice) and the beautiful beach at Penguin
We all enjoyed visiting Penguin … Terri, Nola, me, Jeff, and Maureen
Penguin and I’m feeling quite at home
Near the beach there was a “Tardis” , and I’m in my elementWe are at our destination for the day and the main mission of our trip “Wynyard” … we are standing on the corner of “Quiggin & Moore St,” the site of the Hospital were our fathers were born … ironically now on the site there is an Aged Care Nursing Home, and we are happy to have found our true spiritual connection with our actual beginnings
On our way back home we stopped at Deloraine and go over the Meander River
The sun is setting and it’s time to head back to Launceston for a well earned sleep
3.40 am, and Frankie wakes me up 20 minutes before my ‘alarm’ was due to ring … good doggie… and between my sister and Frankie, I manage to catch the Airport bus on time … 90 minutes later I am at Melbourne airport…
Me and Terri waiting for departure … cousins Nola and Maureen
Another 90 minutes I’m finally on the plane with my 5 cousins, and up through the clouds we fly to Tasmania …
Up through the clouds we soar and above the clouds we fly
We see Tasmania through the clouds, and then approaching Hobart Airport Touchdown and we are in our hire carFirst stop was the historic township, Richmond. I did some wine sampling and cousin Terri checked out the Peppercorn Gallery The Richmond Bakery and the historic Richmond Bridge
We leave the picturesque Richmond village and head up to Launceston, stopping at Ross on the way … Nola in front of the rustic Ross Bakery … we liked the old fashioned Bakeries
Arrived at our accommodation in Launceston and go out for dinner at the Royal Oak Hotel, Jeff and Terri and the six of us cousins, where we all enjoyed fabulous hospitality
Forty-seven poets and writers with astute observations about living, emotions, and our world were featured online in The Short of It publication in 2022. The best of their thoughts fill the pages of this compilation. They will leave you with rich impressions, some providing mysteries to ponder but also many which speak deep truths. Each piece by the poets and writers presented in this collection shows us, with depth and succinctness, what was on their minds. Every one of their poems, as the title of this book suggests, brings to the surface their “reflections and revelations.” A big thank you to Susi Bocks for editing and producing this outstanding Anthology, and I am proud to have been selected as one of many in a talented list of writers. “The paperback version is available on Amazon.com NOW!! To get your copy, please CLICK THIS LINK! “
Here are my “Short” poetic entries in Anthology:
Facades
Wearing your best vest Is not necessarily a truthful test A facade for a restless chest
Again
Summer’s golden plains And stormy rains Erase winter stains
After Twilight
Starry, starry nights Shine on, shine on bright Please stay, please stay within sight
Earthquake
I feel the earth quake Fracturing tears off my soul Tremors from my heart
Hail
Hailstones, hard as nails Falling frozen razor blades Storm’s icy sharp balls
Put another log on the fire, while I travel to Tasmania with the two Philadelphia girls and three other Aussie cousins … Thursday 27th April – Monday 1st May
I posted the below “Faeries and Books” article way back in December 2019.
Faeries and Books
Cousin Maureen, Christine(from Go Dog Go Cafe’s website), cousin Terri
Faeries And Books
Australia is a far away land
Only reached by ship or plane
Today, I saw the Ben Franklin Bridge at my door
Distant fairies were knocking, a message for Ivor
From my Philadelphia cousins, Maureen and Terry
They went to a Pop-Up Shop, a writers library
To meet Christine, our chief of ‘Go Dog Go Cafe’
Who signed a book for me, and a joint photo for my display
Cherished Thanksgiving gifts, to make my heart beat
Now I’m looking forward to my cousin delivering the treats
“On Sunday, at the start of their stay, my cousins (The Good Faeries) Maureen and Terri, presented me with the signed copy of “Smitten” that they had purchased for me way back in November 2019 … I had totally forgotten about the Antology and their gift was truly a very pleasant SURPRISE!”
For my readers, followers, friends and all those who doubt my connection to our unidentified Aliens, my “Mothership” landed for a visit today, to check-up on how I was handling the planet earth’s present dilemmas, and I’m afraid I had to report that the situation here is stagnant and quite grim.
Time Travelers (Revised)
Zap, a herculean lightning bolt precedes an astrological power surge
Traversing the cobalt skies, like gigantic electric eels
Vividly scoring chords, to hang our biblical words on
Like musical notes on lines of lost dreams and regrets
Soundwaves echoing, poles apart, going north, south, east, and west
Conducting iridescent aurora lights over our purple sunset
Vibrating quasars pulsating from deep inside outer space
Focusing on the huge magnetic Receiving Dish, signaling “An Arrival”
Recording a celestial traveler, singing with an angel’s voice
Resonating sweetly, like Handel’s, Messiah Hallelujah Chorus
Translated into the universal language of symphonic sound
Digitally simulcast and televised to the world’s population
A Super-Sonic Cosmic message to be heard loud and clear
“We have returned to your degraded planet earth
to again, bestow upon you, Peace and Goodwill
like we have done before, Eons of Millenniums ago”
Wednesday : We visited the historic Paper Mill tourist area in Fyansford, and then the adjacent scenic Barwon River Valley and Buckley Falls
L-R. In the foreground, the viaduct channel that powered the Paper Mill — Maureen in front of a Bluestone storage shed — A pair of Tawny Frogmouth Owls
L-R. The girls and Frankie — A signpost deplaying some local aboriginal township names — Frankie and the girls
The Weir on the Barwon River above Buckley Falls, which fed water into the old Paper Mill viaduct — Frankie and Maureen
Wednesday, Late Afternoon: I took Terri home for a much need rest and Maureen and I continued on our way to Corio Quay and Rippleside Beach.
At Corio Quay, the ‘Spirit Of Tasmania’ , the Bass Strait ferry from Geelong to Tasmania
The promenade section of the trail that bridges a inlet … looking back to the waterfront area in front of the City of Geelong.
Below: a short video of our view across the Bay toward the City.
Wednesday, Laterer: At the Moorabool Valley Chocolate Cafe before we went home to arouse cousin Terri
Me and my ‘cheesecake’ — The model train/railway in front of the kitchen area.
At the end of the Cafe’s carpark there is a lookout over the Moorabool Valley
Thursday: In the morning the girls had to pack ready for the next “cousin interchange”, cousin Dennise from Torquay at 2.30pm, and then we went down to the charming Pakington St.
The girls did some shopping and we returned to the ‘Box Office Cafe’ for Lunch.
The gorgeous West Park — the girls in my courtyard waiting to be picked up — goodbye to my dear cousins Maureen and Terri, for now, until next Thursday(27th) a group of us (6 cousins) are flying over to Tasmania for a 5-day tour.
Monday: I took the girls to the “National Wool Museum” which is here in Geelong, but firstly they came with me to ‘visit’ Carole at the Geelong West cemetery (flowers for Carole’s birthday) …
Happy birthday Carole … Wool Museum, the girls up on the historic Auctioneer’s podium.
The girls, Terri and Maureen, shopping in the Museum’s souvenir shop
Tuesday: We toured the Bellarine Peninsula
Queenscliff: … the fascinating old buildings, The Grand Hotel, The Post Office, and the Library
Queenscliff: The girls found the old style shops very interesting
Queenscliff: An intriguing shop courtyard.
Queenscliff: the waterfront
Point Lonsdale: The lighthouse at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, called the “Rip”, the pier and bay beyond, and the infamous “Rip”.
Ocean Grove: From the promenade looking toward “The Bluff” at Barwon Heads… Frankie, Maureen, and Terri.
Ocean Grove: The surf beach, looking back toward Point Lonsdale … surf was up with lots of board riders.
Barwon Heads: From “The Bluff” lookout, L-R – overlooking the Victoria Park camping area, – looking across the Barwon River toward Ocean Grove, – looking down at the mouth of the Barwon River.
Time to head home … and at 7.30pm we enjoyed a wine and Barbeque dinner, relaxing under my courtyard Verandah…
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 