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 Christmas Party, With a “Bad Santa” Book Swap

On Sunday I attended the “lowercase poetry” Christmas Party, and it was a wonderfully friendly gathering and a merry time was had by all. The event featured a “Bad Santa” book swap, where we all brought along a Gift Wrapped Book (secret) to place under the ‘tree’, and when your name was announced you went up and picked a gift … there were certainly many enjoyable moments as we unwrapped our “Mystery Books” … and my parcel contained two books, Terry Pratchett’s “Wyrd Sisters, & The Poems And Plays Of Oliver Goldsmith, and a lovely letter from the gift wrapper …







A Christmas Party With a “Bad Santa” Book Swap 


 
 
The weekend flew by  

Under a sunny Christmas sky 


There was togetherness below the marquee’s shade  

And much happiness openheartedly displayed 


And beneath the leafy jade tree  

A stack of wrapped books, I did see 

For the “Bad Santa” book swap spree 


Luckily, my pick was Terry Pratchett’s “Wyrd Sisters” 

A humourous story about politics and witchery








Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

In Response, I Say

Over at Weekly Prompts, the Weekend Challenge, is the word; Single … please visit their wonderful site by clicking on >> Here …
My poem below is a “singular”(private), message of sympathy to a friend on WordPress






In Response, I Say




As my tears pass by

I caress my salty eyes

It could be the humid weather

Or the gentle touch of a quill’s feather

No matter, life, brings us together








Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Throwback Friday, Chocolates After Midnight

This is a metaphorical poem I wrote in December 2020, and as is my way, here I have substantially altered the wording from the original …


Chocolates After Midnight (Revised)


My stomach’s rumbling

Upset and tumbling

I’ve been swallowing

lumps of dark chocolate

And guzzling black coffee

from a bloodstained goblet

.

The heavy clouds of yesterday

Have stuck around

like entrenched clay

Has this embattled midnight

moved into stay?

Will my charcoal pencil be able

to write about peace today?








Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Another Twilight Christmas Market

Hello dear readers, especially those in the Geelong area. I am a stall holder at the Twilight Christmas Market, this Friday evening the 15th Dec, at the Italian Social Club, Bellarine Hwy, Moolap. Come out and and say ‘Hello’ … books certainly make for an interesting Christmas Gift.









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) December 2023

Thor’s, Boom Crash Opera

Over at Weekly Prompts the Wednesday Challenge is the word; Timing. To visit their fabulous site please click on >> Here … It was bad “Timing” that Frankie and I got caught in the storm this morning …



Thor’s, Boom Crash Opera


 
 
The sky looks like a wall

of blue-stone blocks

Ominous and motionless

With flashes of lightning

Bursting out of the cloud’s

solar plexus


Emblazoned by Thor’s

Thunderous bass drums

His raucous crescendo

Echoed like an aborted,

boom crash opera








Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Shangri La, Volume 5, Either Way

FREE PDF COPY >>> Links Below

Hello, dear readers and followers, as you might know I stopped producing my “Tullawalla Booklets” at # 31, because that was the house number of our family’s Tullawalla Homestead.
But the booklet formats are a superb way for me to catalogue the vast number of poems that I produce and as the saying goes “I Am Turning Another Page”. Here I have begun a new series of poem booklets, and they are called “Shangri La” which is the name of my little Villa, and is my piece of “earthly paradise, a retreat from the pressures of modern civilization”.
Incredibly, I now have a total of “1594” Poems filed in these booklet formats!!
Click on >> Here for the link to your FREE: PDF Copy of “Shangri La, Volume 5. Either Way“



Either Way

According to the book of Why 
The sun will never die 
And the moon is often seen  
wearing a black tie

Either way 
After the matinee 
Where do the children play?  
On our filthy ashtray 






Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Inner Space

A big thank you to VJ Knutson’s poem >> https://vjknutson.org/2023/12/09/varnish/ , for being the inspiration behind my abstract piece today …






Inner Space





my faulty mind cannot find first base

and has slowed down to a snail’s pace

but no matter, in my space

I slide and slither with grace



while everyone’s imitation briefcases

are full of knotted bootlaces

and rushing into cyberspace

searching for “what’s” on third base








Ivor Steven (c) December 2023

Every Day is Perfect  

Over at Weekly Prompts, the Weekend Challenge is the Word, Contemplate. You may visit their wonderful site by clicking on >> Here. … this afternoon, me and Frankie were “contemplating” when we should go back out in the rain …





Every Day is Perfect  


Perfect one day  

Rainy the next 

Clouds are crying 

Birds are hiding 

Puddles are unifying


 

Saturday afternoon 

The cafe is almost empty  

Frankie’s a shaggy, doggie  

Soaked and soggy 

Oh, it’s raining again 


Heavy fat drops  

No sign of abating

Puddles are migrating 

And we are waiting 

For nature’s sundrops 






Ivor Steven (c) December 2023