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.

SeanRowe, Lyrics And Music

I’m presenting you another of my fav’ singer/songwriters in Sean Rowe, his glorious song here “To Leave Something Behind”, is typical of his style of music and thought provoking lyrics, please enjoy, I’m going to work/plumbing soon, damn it’s only 1’C !!, I’ll be wearing my new beanie, (Thanks to Soulgifts xx)

Sean Rowe – To Leave Something Behind lyrics

I cannot say that I know you well
But you can’t lie to me with all these books that you sell
I’m not trying to follow you to the end of the world
I’m just trying to leave something behind

Words have come from men and mouse
But I can’t help thinking that I’ve heard the wrong crowd
When all the water is gone my job will be too
And I’m trying to leave something behind

Oh money is free but love costs more than our bread
And the ceiling is hard to reach
Oh the future ahead is broken and red
But I’m trying to leave something behind

This whole world is a foreign land
We swallow the moon but we don’t know our own hand
We’re running with the case but we ain’t got the gold
Yet we’re trying to leave something behind

My friends I believe we are at the wrong fight
And I cannot read what I did not write
I’ve been to His house, but the master is gone
But I’d like to leave something behind

[Lyrics from: https:/lyrics.az/sean-rowe/to-leave-something-behind/to-leave-something-behind.html]
There is a beast who has taken my blame
You can put me to bed but you can’t feel my pain
When the machine has taken the soul from the man
It’s time to leave something behind

Oh money is free but love costs more than our bread
And the ceiling is hard to reach
Oh the future ahead is already dead
So I’m trying to leave something behind

I got this feeling that I’m still at the shore
And pockets don’t know what it means to be poor
I can get through the wall if you give me a door
So I can leave something behind

Oh wisdom is lost in the trees somewhere
You’re not going to find it in some mental gray hair
It’s locked up from those who hurry ahead
And it’s time to leave something behind

Oh money is free but love costs more than our bread
And the ceiling is hard to reach
When my son is a man he will know what I meant
I was just trying to leave something behind
I was just trying to leave something behind

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See You In The Sun

I’ve been watching and listening to this video/song by Xavier Rudd, and the words and his music have touched me deeply. The song is a little known piece, and I thought I’d post it here for my dear readers to enjoy and to soak up the genuine emotions that Xavier imparts into his music…..

Xavier Rudd Lyrics

“Solace”

“Farewell to the west now
And welcome to the east
Farewell to the one who raked
The sand beneath my feet
Well thank you for the space we shared
And the heart and soul my friend
I will see you through the colors
Between the mountains as the sun descends

Farewell to the west now
My mind is open to the east
To all the new faces, new minds
And things to see
Well, I am alone here
And my heart at times, it weeps
You will see me through the colors
As the sun sinks in the sea

We twisted and we reflected upon a grin
Common ground we walked upon
With common feelings of common things
Yes it is a cruel world
But there is solace amongst the sin
Peace to you for now
We will share again
We will share again
We will share again
We will share again
My, my friend
We will share again
Season on the fight” By: Xavier Rudd

Introducing A Different Kind of Angel

Paulette Mahurin’s new book, A Different Kind Of Angel.Please visit her site, and all profits go to help get dogs out of Kill Shelters !!

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap

My new book is live on Amazon. As with all my other books, all the profits from it will go to help get dogs out of kill shelters. I’m grateful for all the support my books have received. To everyone who has or plans to purchase a book and additionally take the time to write a review, thank you. Each purchase and review is given attention by Amazon in ranking a book and that means promotion. A lot of dogs will benefit.

Links to purchase my new book in the U.S. and it will also be available on other Amazon sites around the world.

SYNOPSIS

Inspired by real events chronicled by journalist for The World News, Elizabeth Cochrane (pen name, Nellie Bly), in 1887.

Klara Gelfman’s life in Kiev was serene until she turned nineteen. That’s when Russia’s Tsar Alexander II was assassinated, and a vicious propaganda campaign spread that…

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A Festival

Weekly Prompts. Photo Prompt: Festival

During the last six years, I’ve attended numerous music festivals within the Geelong area and I was fortunate enough to also go to the world famous Port Fairy Folk Music Festival, in 2013, featuring, David Francey(with his band, Go Jane Go), Xavier Rudd, and Geoffrey Gurrumul, a music vidoe of his glorious singing below, you won’t believe how beautiful his voice is !! The featured image above is from the Geelong Jazz Festival on streets in the CBD.

Above, From The Top, David Francey,(left side of stage) at Port Fairy Folk Music Festival 2013. Next: Enjoying the festival, Ivor with Lyn, one of those dear friends of Carole, who were there with us throughout the whole journey. (we swapped hats for this pic)

Above are pictures from the Geelong Motor City Music Festival, 2014 and 2015. From the Top, Lloyd Spiegel, Claude Hay, my friends enjoying the show, Martin, Terry and Jacqui, and The Chris Wilson Blues Band .

Above two pictures are from our local Pako Festa, a multi-cultural festival held annually here in Geelong, a street parade, street stalls and displays and outdoor concerts. Left, pic Ivor with Niamh, My Irish friend’s Martin and Jacqui, daughter, 2013, she’s 18 months old, and the same little Niamh in 2016, yep she’s Ivor’s special little girl.

Here below a poem I wrote about my time at the Port Fairy Folk Music Festival, in March 2013, and the four day Festival was an event I shall always remember.

A Festival

A Festival, beside the sea

Musicians playing in the breeze

Song-catchers of sadness and glee

Open for everyone to see

A Festival, of warmth and love

Bound together within a community glove

Endless tunes, over and above

Gliding around like peaceful doves

A Festival, with friends in a cottage

Laughter, travelling through the village

Riding on a horse-drawn carriage

Singing out of tune, a broken homage

A Festival, rejoicing day and night

Eating and drinking on-site

The multitude happy and bright

Hovering under the stage lights

A Festival, a joyful blast

Memories always to last

The fun time went so fast

Holding hands on the grass

Great News

Dear readers, some of you might know that I’ve been busy lately, submitting my poems for various publications. Today I received great news from the Geelong Writers Anthology publication for 2018.

Anthology Submissions

Hi Ivor!

I wanted to email and thank you for submitting to our anthologies and congratulate you! I am pleased to let you know that we will be publishing your submissions Waterways, A Friend,and Singing a Song for You in our upcoming Poetry Anthology, and Beyond the Trapdoor and Down Along the River Bed in our upcoming General Anthology. We will be in touch shortly to let you know details about the launch.

Thanks so much for your hard work!

Best,

Justine

Anthology Editor

This is a fabulous result for me, I submitted a total of six poems between the two anthologies and I’ve had five selected. I couldn’t be happier, and I’m sure we need to celebrate with some appropriate music from Leonard Cohen.

https://youtu.be/ACVAg76Y5P0

Ivor Steven 2018

Thursday, More Music By Xavier Rudd

G’day dear friends and readers, I’m still bristling and bubbling from Xavier Rudd’s concert last Saturday night, and on this Thursday, another day of Ivor being an old plumber at work, the attached song seems both inspiring and appropriate for me this week. Please enjoy his music and lyrics.

Xavier Rudd Lyrics

“Growth Lines”

All the reasons once again escaped his mind
The sting of daylight through the blinds
And he could smell her on the drapes by the phone
She left it ringing for so longAnd I believe we are done
And I agree we had fun
We can hold our heads high
‘Cause we could only try
Yeah, we came so far
And we gave it our all
We can walk with pride
TonightBound by the stories of the growth lines on their hands
A fork in the road would someday come
And said I love you to the moon and back
Used to seem so damn far

And I believe we are done
And I agree we had fun
We can hold our heads high
‘Cause we could only try
Yeah, we came so far
And we gave it our all
We can walk with pride
Tonight

Floating in the ocean
Heart beating like a drum
I’m singing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
And I’m floating in the ocean
Heart beating like a drum
Singing Hallelujah into the setting sun

Featured Image: via spotlightreport.net, google images.

Auspiciously

“Weekly Prompt” . The word prompt for this week: Serendipity

I’m a poet of little renown

Writing continuously for eighteen years

Scribbling word after word

Penning thousands upon thousands of lines

Forming hundreds and hundreds of poems

My stories of memories and rhymes

Soulful words of mine

By perchance

I’m reviewing my poems today

Reading every poem, every word

Auspiciously

Discovering there’s a word

A word I’ve never used

I’m mystified and perplexed

I’ve never been charmed

With the gift of the written word

Fortuity has rolled on by me

I’m wondering why

Why I’ve never used the word

Serendipity

Chatting To ChatterMaster

I’ve been good friends with Colleen of, Click >> ChatterMaster, since the first week I started blogging 14 months ago. I love her glorious attitude for life and people. I diligently read all of her posts (nearly) and I often write comments to her in the form of little poems, and many of them have been featured here in my “Tit Bits” series of poems. However today I’m presenting little/micro poems I’ve posted on Colleen’s site, during the past few weeks.

Fall

After a bad fall

We need good strength

To fully recover

I Believe

I believe in helping

I believe it’s our call

I believe no matter how small

I believe in standing tall

Where To

I’m good at reading maps

Not a good driver

I’m good a finding the dots

Not good at erasing the crosses

I’m good at figuring things out

If you’re struggling about

I’ll help you out

Extra Time

If we had an extra hour in our day

It still wouldn’t be enough time

To fit all the good times in

We just have to enjoy our good times

While we still have time

Holding Today

I like holding today

She’s bubbly and full of life

I look forward to meeting tomorrow

She’s a lustrous light

I loved yesterday

Like there was no tomorrow

I dream of the next kiss

Holding onto today is bliss

Creatures Of Wizardry

Weekly Prompts : Photo Challenge, Animals In Nature

This weeks Photo Challenge is about animals in nature, and I’m always fascinated by the mystical world of dragons, and that’s “My Dragon” in the featured image above, and also in the picture below, where I’m giving my friendly dragon a pat. You can read all about my dragon by clicking on this link >> https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/my-dragon-the-trilogy-2/ I know my dragon is very fond of the local swans residing nearby on Corio Bay.

There are readers of mine who would remember my Lizard Of Wizardry, Lizzy, who(it has been suggested) was the reincarnation of my little furry friend, Lily, and if you’d like to read about Lizzy the lizard, click on this link >>https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2017/11/07/lily-and-a-lizard-of-wizardry-2/

I do miss my little dog Lily, and we both enjoyed our walks to the lovely bush setting of the Moorabool Valley Chocolate Cafe. Every now and then we would encounter a cheeky magpie on the Cafe’s outside patio area, and below, photos of the magpie and, lily proudly sitting in her wild natural habitat. I also wrote a poem about that cheeky magpie, click here on this link >>https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2017/10/15/cheeky-magpie/

Saturday Night “Live” Concert

I was fortunate enough to go see Xavier Rudd, live in concert last night, as part of his Storm Boy Tour of Australia, and he was here in Geelong, and what an incredible show he put on, in front of a pack house in his hometown. He’s a rare talent, playing multiple instruments, including the Aboriginal Didgeridoo and “Lioness Eye” is a good example of him playing the didgeridoo. Click this link >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZk-EhCevm0 Attached below is a few of his songs that he performed last night. I did try taking some video clips, but they were very poor attempts I’m afraid, Yes, Ivor should stick to trying to write poetry.

And of course there’s no Xavier Rudd show/concert, without listening to his classic song, “Spirit Bird”, I’ll post this version so you’re able to follow his lyrics, a heartfelt message of important significance for all walks life of our world.

“Spirit Bird she creaks and groans

She knows she has

Seen this all before she has

Seen this all before she has”

I hope you enjoy his music as much as I do.

Featured Image: From Aesthetic Magazine, July 17th 2017.