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.

A Purple Rock

I found a purple rock

Under the big purple clock

The purple rock was quietly listening

To the purple sounds of whispering

Hordes of purple voices reverberating

Within the purple shadows of distancing

 

Unexpectedly the purple rock began crumbling

Into a dusty purple mist, now malingering

And quickly the purple cloud started raining

Spreading purple over those outsiders witnessing

Eventually after years of purple transitioning

The purple bad-seeds flowered after reconditioning

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Her Kindness

A poem for Gina, a hard working angel at the hospital. Last night my dreams echoed her kindness….And a big thank you to everyone working in the health care system.

 

Her Kindness

 

I can hear storm clouds rumbling

But I cannot hear the darkness

I can see a tired sun fading

But I cannot see the gloominess

I can say help those who are crying

But I cannot say I am fearless

But I will not sit and be silent

My hands ring the bells of kindness

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Tullawalla #16

Tullawalla, Decades of Storms

Hello dear readers and followers, Over the last few days, I’ve been arduously preparing and typing madly, to produce my Sixteenth Tullawalla Poetry Booklet….. and this time, because of the “virus” lock-down situation, I’ve had been able to compile the booklet at my leisure…. For new readers that don’t know about these booklets, they are basically the reason why I write poetry. I produce the booklets for the sole purpose of raising funds for my favourite charity organisation, the MS Society, in Australia via the MS Charity Shop here in Geelong. And actually all money’s I receive for any of my poetry submissions, I also donate to the MS Society. Fantastic news this week, with a few more donations coming in lately, I’m proud to announce, that the sale of my “Tullawalla Booklets”, has now gone pass $1200.00, …  to all the lovely readers, who have donated, to help achieve such a wonderful amount,  a big heartfelt thank you, from “us” and the MS Society … …..Amazingly, there is now a total of  “653 poems”, in my collection of 16 Tullawalla Booklets. Anyhow the booklet this finally completed, and ready for sale now !! As always, they are available for purchase, either as a hard copy or a PDF format….. All proceeds go to the MS Charity Shop, here in Geelong West….. Please contact me here through my web site page and I can chat about arrangements from there…. Oh, the booklet is called “Tullawalla:  “Decades of Storms”,              …. And here is the link to my website >> ivors20.wordpress.com

img635 (2)

Below, is the Preface, and the poem ‘Decades of Storms’

Below, two more of my favourite poems from the booklet, and I’m very excited about the harmony of this soulful collection.

 

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Time to Read

The challenge for the “Weekly Prompts” is DAILY DIARY. Please go over and visit their fabulous by clicking >> HERE. On my post here today I’m presenting a journal/collection of a few interesting photos I’ve taken over the previous weeks before the “virus” lock-down started last weekend…

Above in feature image, is the poetry book I’m rereading, written a fellow Worldpress friend, Colleen Brown, and on the right in image, is one my favourite poems from her book.

Outside my local bookshop “The Book Bird”, they have a display board with a different “Birdie” quote each week as depicted in the 5 photos below …..

 

 

 

Whoops: A foreign one….

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Hold Your Horses

This afternoon I went for a walk to the Moorabool Valley Cafe, however the cafe was operating under strict lock-down conditions. At the cafe door, I could order a take-away coffee, where I also ordered a delicious slice of cheesecake. Luckily I had my backpack on, and the package sat easily in my backpack, and I carried the coffee, I was not allowed to stay at the cafe, nor even in outdoor patio area. Anyhow off I trek on way back to home. On the way home I knew of a park bench where I could have a rest and eat my cake, and I also took the above photos on the way back….. and everything combined to inspire me to think of a poem, while sitting at the park bench, “eating my cheesecake, and writing these words”……. .

Hold Your Horses

I’m riding my white pony from the air-force

She’s a Pegasus, and the perfect horse for this course

But are we on the right track?

Am I actually heading back?

Winging our way across the continent

My loyal stead is divinely competent

And I trust her heavenly sense of direction

Flying us towards my celestial connection

Ivor Steven (c) March 2020

Survive, Again

I’m here, in my writers room

Secure in this single cocoon

But my active mind’s wondering

And dreams of freely wandering

 

Be patient I am told

Remember those bad days of old

When your body turned cold

Dead from a worldly mould

 

You’re to be a good patient again

Remember those months of pain

When clots and spots invaded your brain

And how you survived, to see your spirit reign

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Because Now

A superbly poignant poem by Ali…. come join us at the bonfire on the beach…. and watch the flames of love burn freely…🧡💛🌏

Ali Grimshaw's avatarflashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw

img_3321

on the beach I begin
because now I am ready
and so are you

to turn our fear into fuel
build a bonfire to bring warmth
for all now sitting in cold darkness

I start with kindling of prejudice
add sticks of anger
a log of fear
a heavy round of anxiety
watch the flames ignite to hot glow

come close and sit with me now
add your logs to this burning pyre
hate and terror blaze brightly with heat
finally an efficient use for their energy

let’s watch
as flames of love
devour all that we
believe we cannot face
to singe away, char and reform
all that has been holding us back

love knows how to transform
create a burning
to warm us all through
this dark night.

come to the beach
now we are ready

© Alicia Grimshaw 2020

iStock-913734538

View original post

A Dragonfly Lives Six Months

The Weekend Challenge from Weekly Prompts is  ‘Ladders.‘ please go over and visit the  “Weekly Prompts” fabulous site by clicking >>HERE. Today my poem is about the view I see from the top of my ladder….

 

A Dragonfly Lives Six Months

 

From atop of my wooden ladder

I saw crowds growing madder

Beyond the world’s yellowing sky

I heard a murmuring dragonfly

Cry and fall off his rainbow slide

Landing awkwardly on his side

Powerless I gazed, mortified

As one of nature’s angels, slowly died

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020