An Epic Saga (a Haibun)

Featuered Image Above; Theo, tethered but tenacious — reaching for the light once more.

** Over at Weekly Prompts,  the Weekend Challenge is the word Epic. To visit their wonderful site, please click >> Here.


Back in early June, readers might remember my poem about “Theo” the tomato tree — a bold little sprout defying the odds. I’m pleased to announce that Theo has survived an arduous winter. Today, beneath the mulch and morning mist, there are tender signs of regrowth. >> https://ivorplumberpoet.press/2025/06/09/bold-and-defiant/.




Like good Doctor Who
Theo’s regenerated
Will he produce fruit?






Ivor Steven (c) November 2025

Time Flies

Featured Image Above: Yesterday’s silhouette. A crow arcs through the sky— fractured wings, tattered heartstrings. Time flies, but never asks permission.

Time Flies


I need to escape the fray,
and fly away from yesterday.
Time does not feel the undertow;
Time is hungry like a crow.

But how far can I go with fractured wings
and tattered heartstrings?
Time does not need a manager —
Time carries no passengers.






Ivor Steven (c) November 2025

A World Briefly Unbroken

Featured Image Above: Yesterday’s café visit lingered in my thoughts… and became this poem. A world briefly unbroken.


The first 8 images are from my walking track this morning, and the last 3 images are from my sister’s walking track in Smythsdale.





A World Briefly Unbroken


Through the gate we go,
To find today’s silhouettes and shadows,
And to replay nature’s unspoiled show.

Spring has finally awoken;
Blue sky has ceased being a hidden token,
And this mad world of poisonous potions
Briefly hovers before our eyes, unbroken







Ivor Steven (c) November 2025

Throwback Friday, Flying Through Time

Today’s Throwback Friday poem is drawn from my upcoming book, Time Hears No Sound. It opens Chapter 3, Time: Hears No Commands—a section that explores the quiet rebellion of nature and spirit against the ticking of the clock.





Flying Through Time

Flying below the clouds
or
Zooming above the bay
or
Swooping across the paddocks


My wings
are oblivious
to the climb
And do not hear
the sound of time





.


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





Ivor Steven (c) January 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

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