Category: Music

A Luxury of Green, Xanadu

This weekend the Saturday challenge from Weekly Prompts, and their monthly colour challenge for April is: Xanadu. Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking > HERE

Above Images: Photos from my fernery, of the Philodendron Xanadu.

 

A Luxury of Green, Xanadu: A Cinquain* poem

 

Ancient

Kubla Khan times

A Palace of beauty

Mystical Xanadu city

Did thrive

 

*A Cinquain is 5 lines: 
Line 1: 2 syllables 
Line 2: 4 syllables 
Line 3: 6 syllables 
Line 4: 8 syllables 
Line 5: 2 syllables 

And here’s my favourite “Green” song, Leonard Cohen’s ‘Leaving Green Sleeves’

 

 

Ripened Fruit

I’m climbing a ladder in my suit

to pick the ripened fruit

stretching high and askew

I’ve been told not too

step off the the ground

and stay here, earthly bound

but how else am I to fly

and reach my star in the sky

 

a lady told me I was wise

but my wisdom is only a disguise

hiding my old wounds and bruises

from my ripened fruits fallen excuses

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  April 2020

Another Day

The muted day is ambling by

Grey clouds blowing in the sky

Banks of rain tears are flowing down

I’m sheltering under my iron crown

 

I wonder about today and tomorrow

When are we to reappear from our burrows

Winter approaches to cool the ground

Autumn colours are vanishing uncrowned

The super-bug remains lingering in the air

And Scientist are striving to snuffle this virus affair

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  April 2020

You Cannot Shoot Or Electrocute It

This week’s Wednesday Challenge on Weekly Prompts, is the word WARY. Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here . Below is my poem about being ‘Wary’

 

You Cannot Shoot Or Electrocute It

 

I see grey clouds drifting across the sky

And I hear the great white bear continue to lie

You cannot shoot it

Nor can you electrocute it

I cannot hear your bullets blazing

Nor can your bombs do the erasing

Your insincere words cannot stop it

I’m wary of your falsehoods, that hide it

I cannot see your pain and fears

Nor can I see your sympathetic tears

Your money keeps you safe in the ivory tower

But will your money send the people flowers

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Bob Dylan, wrote these profound lyrics 50 years ago…

“All Along The Watchtower”

“There must be some way out of here,” said the joker to the thief,
“There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth.””No reason to get excited”, the thief, he kindly spoke,
“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late”.All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.

 

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

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