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.

The Inaugural Geelong Short Play Festival

The Inaugural Geelong Short Play Festival

By Ivor

Today I attended the matinee session of the Geelong Short Play Festival at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre, and left feeling inspired by the depth of local talent and the warmth of community spirit.

Organised by Geelong Writers Inc. and supported by the Geelong Arts Centre, the festival marks a vibrant new chapter in the region’s creative calendar. As Paul Bucci, Chair of the Geelong Short Play Festival Working Group, shared:

“The festival is an initiative of the Geelong Writers Group, a not-for-profit community group formed to promote support for writers of all genres and to promote writing and literature in the Geelong and Surf Coast regions.
We hope the festival will become an annual event in Geelong, providing a wonderful opportunity to develop and showcase local talent in writing and performance.
This year, the festival features six plays by local writers that were chosen from 36 plays submitted for consideration and supported by five local theatre groups. Thanks to everyone who took the time to submit – well done to all of you.”

Paul Bucci. Geelong Short Play Festival Working Group Chair:

The Geelong Performing Arts Centre


There are several theatres in the Arts Centre: The festival was held at “The Open House”


It was a full house.


The audience—an eclectic mix of theatre lovers, writers, and curious locals—responded with generous applause and lively conversation during intermission. It was clear that this wasn’t just a showcase, but a celebration of Geelong’s creative pulse.


Among the festival’s generous sponsors was Jaymah Press, a local publishing house committed to nurturing regional voices. It was a delight to see Judy Rankin, editor and publisher at Jaymah, acknowledged for her support—not only of the festival, but of countless writers in the Geelong community.

On a personal note, Judy happens to be the editor and publisher of my own books, and I’m continually grateful for her thoughtful guidance and unwavering belief in the power of poetry and storytelling. Her presence at the festival felt like a quiet thread of continuity—linking the written word to the performed one, and reminding us how interconnected our creative journeys truly are






Ivor Steven (c) November 2025

Drowning in Words


“Surfacing from the sea of edits — Frankie keeps watch while I wrestle the waves of words.”



Drowning in Words


Emerging from a sea of black and white,
Normal fonts floating to the right,
Italic letters cascading to the left —
Manuscript time has been my head chef.

The last race on the card is over.
Proofreading is suffering from overexposure.
My foggy mind is resting under the cloud cover,
And I’m recuperating on a bed of clover.




“Proofreading fatigue meets sonic flood — Amanda Palmer’s ‘Drowning in the Sound’ echoes the emotional undertow of my own ‘Drowning in Words.’”




Ivor Steven ©  November 2025

Throwback Friday, Lost and Found – or – There, Here, and Where?

Throwback Friday: Shadows Revisited. First shared in January 2025, this poem now finds its place as the opening to my upcoming collection, Time Hears No Sound.


The final proofreading of my upcoming poetry collection, Time Hears No Sound, is nearly complete. This weekend marks the last quiet read-through before I send it off to my editor and publisher (Judy). Meanwhile, my talented cover designer (Kerri) is crafting the book’s visual soul. There’s still a journey ahead, but everything is unfolding beautifully. Thank you for walking beside me.



Lost and Found – or – There, Here, and Where?

There
Lying on solid ground,
my shallow shadow wears no face
And utters no sound.

Here
My outline bears no carapace.

Where
On a graveside mound,
I see my darkness —
waiting to be found.







.


Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >>  Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)



Perceptions:

Amazon >>  Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >>  Perceptions (lulu.com)



Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books


OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com … and I can send you a PayPal account,
for the Book, plus Postage.


Ivor Steven ©  November 2025

Restore Rapport

Featured Image Above: Black-and-white photo of a street art mural depicting a tug-of-war between a Russian and Ukrainian soldier on a war memorial in Izyum, Ukraine. (Getty Images photo)

Written in the quiet hours of early morning, Restore Rapport is a poetic protest against the machinery of war and the silence that surrounds it. Inspired by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, this piece asks: where is the understanding? What are innocent lives being sacrificed for? Paired with a black-and-white battlefield memorial and Einstein’s timeless words, the poem becomes both a lament and a call to withdraw from destruction.

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” — Einstein


Restore Rapport


War!
Sees no exit door
For
Its dirty floor

Who saw
Them roar
For
More?

Raw
To the core,
An infected sore –
War!

Withdraw
The short straw
For
War!



The Village Green (a Tanka)


“Then, contented with my state,
Where true pleasure may be seen,
Let me envy not the great,
On a cheerful village green.” … from “The Village Green”, a poem by Jane Taylor.



The Village Green (a Tanka)


There’s something calming
About watching birds flying
At the village green
Among the picnickers and
Through our springtime’s shady trees








Ivor Steven (c) November2025

A Warm and Wet Spring Day




A Warm and Wet Spring Day


Our ever-changing spring is here again.
We’ve been walking between affectionate raindrops,
dodging the refilling, familiar puddles,
and watching Mudlark’s waddle in the ponds

We’ve appreciated nature’s flirtatious ways
refreshing our frazzled faculties.






Ivor Steven ©  November 2025

“Restore Rapport”, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Featured Image Above: Black-and-white photo of a street art mural depicting a tug-of-war between a Russian and Ukrainian soldier on a war memorial in Izyum, Ukraine. (Getty Images photo)




Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Restore Rapport” is in this week’s edition.
Written in the quiet hours of early morning, Restore Rapport is a poetic protest against the machinery of war and the silence that surrounds it. Inspired by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, this piece asks: Where is the understanding? What are innocent lives being sacrificed for?


“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” — Einstein

To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/restore-rapport/








.


Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >>  Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)



Perceptions:

Amazon >>  Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >>  Perceptions (lulu.com)



Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books


OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com … and I can send you a PayPal account,
for the Book, plus Postage.


Ivor Steven ©  November 2025

Proofreading at the Cafe

“Time Hears No Sound”
Good news! I’ve completed the first draft of my manuscript and have begun the initial proofreading phase. I’m delighted to share that my previous editor and publisher, Judy Rankin, along with the talented cover designer and illustrator, Kerri Costello, have both agreed to join me on this new project. Their support means the world as I take this next step.

Manuscript Details: 189 poems, 177 pages, and 11,555 words.




Proofreading at the Cafe


There’s a manuscript in my knapsack,
Traveling along with every step I take
Proofreading is a necessary backtrack –
Page after page, in between coffee breaks,

Until the task is completed,
Even if I am feeling exhaustipated.





‘On the Nature of Daylight‘ by Max Richter — the kind of music I listen to while proofreading. Gentle, expansive, and quietly stirring, it helps me hear the silence between the words.




Ivor Steven (c) November 2025