Category: Music

Living On a Wooden Bridge

 

Today’s poem is a rewrite of a piece original called “Living On a Knife Edge”. This poem was one of two, that I submitted to be published, but the other poem was accepted ahead of this piece, and so readers I’m posting this rewritten poem for you to peruse today…..

 

Living On a Wooden Bridge

 

Fire, fire, there’s raging fires

I need help to stamp out the flames

Burning down this old timber bridge

A traveler’s last causeway to the edge

Carrying today’s harsh realities

Spanning a lifetime dreams and fantasies

 

Rain, rain, there’s a Noah’s flood

I need help to stop the cascading suds

Fill the sandbags with riverbed mud

Smother the leakages with woolly rugs

Ring out the qualms and doubts

And refuse doctor’s drugs and handouts

 

Warning, warning, outside there’s a heatwave

I need help to see through the dusty haze

Douse the fiery furnace tonight

Close the doors, the fireflies are alight

Open your eyes, and view the glowing sights

And cross the bridge into life’s future delights

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

The Communities Leap Of Faith. “Pako Festa”, Geelong

Over on Weekly Prompts, this weekend’s challenge is:  Leap. Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking >>HERE

Yesterday (Saturday), I went to Geelong’s annual Pako Festa event, a gathering, celebrating the colourful multicultural societies that live in harmony within Geelong’s community. These people who have come from all around the world, have taken a giant leap of faith to resettle their lives here in Geelong. There were over 25 different nationalities represent in the glorious parade, and I’ll let my photos below do all the talking today….. I hope there’s not too many photos, but as you can imagine the parade took well over an hour to go pass me !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Leftover Dew

This a very old poem that I posted on ‘Go Dog Go Cafe’ yesterday’s ‘Throwback Friday’, and I’m posting again here on my site for you to read…

 

Leftover Dew

 

I know I’m far from perfect.

I make awful mistakes.

I know I’m overly loud.

I dominate and crowd.

 

I do have a big heart.

A soul so soft.

I do love to hold and to kiss.

To cuddle and caress.

 

I feel your reluctance.

Your barrier fence.

I feel like a fog over you.

Like the morning dew.

 

Will you ever need another?

Or love another.

Will you ever let me remain.?

Or look for me again.

 

 

“The Hosting Of The Shee”, Lyrics by The Waterboys

The host is riding from Knocknarea
And over the grave of Clooth-na-Bare
Caoilte tossing his burning hair
And Niamh calling: ‘Away, come away’
‘Away, come away, away, away’.The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round
Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound
Our breasts are heaving, our eyes are agleam
Empty your heart of its mortal dream.

The host is riding from Knocknarea
And over the grave of Clooth-na-Bare
Caoilte tossing his burning hair
And Niamh calling: ‘Away, come away’
‘Away, come away, away, away’.

Our armsa-wave, our lips are apart
And if anything gaze on our rushing band
We come between him and the hope of his heart
We come between him and the deed of his hand.

The host is riding from Knocknarea
And over the grave of Clooth-na-Bare
Caoilte tossing his burning hair
And Niamh calling: ‘Away, come away’
‘Away, come away, away, away, away, away…’.

Ivor Steven (c)  Sept 2016

There’s a Heartbeat, Within Every Dream

The persistent rain, drizzling all week

The misty drops playing a gentle tune on our roof

Reminding our souls, how we exist softly meek

Remembering souls we’ve lost, we the leftover proof

 

The hovering clouds, hide thoughts of yesterday

The lifting fog, delivers today’s golden sunbeams

Reminding our hearts, why we love, why we stay

Remembering our every heartbeat, within every dream

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

Not So Wise, But My Size

The midweek challenge on Weekly Prompts is T-Shirt Wisdom. An interesting subject/prompt for me, as I am a bit of a T-shirt buyer when I’m on my trips away, and  the below photos are from my collection of T-shirts……. And please go and visit the fabulous “Weekly Prompts” site by clicking >>HERE

Below: My China trip T-Shirts…

Below: My cruise to the New Caledonia Islands

Below: My cruise to New Zealand

Below: The trip to New York and Philadelphia, “Dreams of the Heart”

Below: Gifts from my sister-in-law when visiting Thailand

Below: My ‘Doctor Who’ T-Shirt….           &    a gift from my Canadian uncle

Below: Leonard Cohen T-Shirts (Of course)

Below: “Hanne Kah”, from Germany, who I meet at a music venue in Geelong…. A Geelong Music Festival T-Shirt, from 5 years ago, and the T-Shirt my sister bought for me, when I got home hospital, in time for Christmas 2018….

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

 

 

Old Enough

Today’s Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge, from the Go Dog Go Cafe team: Write a piece of prose around the phrase: “I never want that again”, … Dear readers you are most welcome to join in the fun by clicking >> Here

 

Old Enough,  –  a Senryu

 

Three times is enough

I never want that again

I’m nearly too old

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

Jigsaw, A Thousand Pieces

 

Jigsaw, A Thousand Pieces

 

Life can be a giant jigsaw turntable

The jumbled picture of a unique fable

Connected by shared oblique faces

Made up of a thousand little pieces

That have run a thousand different races

Curving around thousands of warm embraces

 

Thousands of handshakes and well wishes

Thousands of hello and goodbye kisses

Thousands of friendly smiles

Thousands of ups and downs along bumpy miles

Thousands of grieving fears

Thousands of emotional tears

 

Thousands of tears we do weep

Thousands of kisses go deep

Accepting patience and persistence

Gradually pieces start falling into place

Time heals those missing ones in grace

And finally the jigsaw falls into place

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

 

 

 

A Book Fair

This weekend over on Weekly Prompts, the weekend challenge is; Surface. Please go and visit the Weekly Prompts fabulous site by clicking >> HERE     Below is my take on the prompt, Surface, with photos and my poem ‘A Book Fair’….

 

A Book Fair

 

trestle table after table

there’s rows and rows

of second-hand books

on the surface

the books appear worn

but inside their dusty covers

that untold story awaits

a magical gem for eager eyes

youngsters hungry for a fantasy tale

adults search for a mystery unseen

and hidden underneath their old surfaces

the printed word still astounds

there on display in the town’s historical hall

treasures yet to be discovered still abound

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

How Many Grails In the Sky’s Sails

I’m on my plumber’s ladder

scaling rung after rung

climbing higher and higher

upwards, to the sun

seeking a holy grail

(is there more than one?)

hovering in a sky full of sails

waiting, to revive our resurrection

hold on to your heart now

hold on to your soul

don’t let the world bring you down

and leave you cold      …

Ivor Steven (c) Feb 2020