The Golden Beach

I’d like to thank Gina, of Singledust, and her glorious poem, ‘last pure light’, on “Go Dog Go Cafe”, for inspiring me to write my poem, ‘The Golden Beach’, please click >> Here, to read her wonderful words. Also referring to this weeks, Weekly Photo Prompt: Tradition, yes it’s an Australian tradition to spend Christmas at the beach

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Staring over the ripples in my cuppa tea

Gazing at the future forecast by the tea leaf’s

I’m visualising waves upon the morning sea

And the sensation of the sand beneath my feet

 

Oh to walk on the golden beach again

Inhale the fragrance of the wind caressing my skin

And to swim in the rejuvenating ocean

Feel the surf’s spray on my body, like warm rain

 

The tentacles of fresh air draw you in securely

An aura of purity and peace abounds richly

There’s a crispness from the sun that warms your heart

And a cleansing depth within the surrounds that soothes your soul

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

Ballad Of The Absent Mare; By Leonard Cohen: My Typing Exercise

Hello dear readers, I’ve been having trouble comprehending and concentrating on reading your articles/posts, of more than two stanza’s or one short paragraph in length. So my physiotherapist has given me some tasks to help improve my situation. Today I’m typing up one of favourite longer poem’s, by Leonard Cohen, called the “Ballad Of The Absent Mare”. I hope you enjoy his brilliant writing here.

Ballad Of The Absent Mare: By Leonard Cohen

Say a prayer for the cowboy, his mare’s run away

and he’ll walk till he finds her, his darling, his stray

But the river’s in flood and the roads are awash

and the bridges break up in the panic of loss

 

And there’s nothing to follow, there’s nowhere to go

She’s gone like the summer, she’s gone like the snow

And the crickets are breaking his heart with their song

as the day caves in and the night is all wrong

 

Did he dream, was it she who went galloping past

and bent down the fern and broke open the grass

and printed the mud with the iron and the gold

that he nailed to her feet when he was the lord

 

And though she goes grazing a minute away

he tracks her all night and he tracks her all day;

blind to her presence except to compare

his injury here with her punishment there

 

Then at home on his branch in the highest tree

a songbird sings out so suddenly

Oh the sun is warm and the soft winds ride

on the willow trees by the riverside

 

And the world is sweet and the world is wide

and she’s there where the light and the darkness divide

and steam’s coming off her, she’s huge and she’s shy

and she steps on the moon when she paws at the sky

 

And she comes to his hand but she’s not really tame

She longs to be lost and he longs for the same

And she’ll bolt and she’ll plunge through the first open pass

to roll and to feed in the sweet mountain grass

 

Or she’ll make a break for the high plateau

where there’s nothing above and there’s nothing below

And it’s time for their burden, it’s time for the whip

Will she walk through the flame, can he shoot from the hip

 

So he binds himself to the galloping mare

and she binds herself to the rider there

and there is no space but there’s left and right

and there is no time but there’s day and night

 

And he leans on her neck and he whispers low

Whither thou goest I will go

And they turn as one and they head for the plain

no need for the whip, no need for the rein

 

Now the clasp of this union, who fastens it tight

who snaps it asunder the very next night ?

Some say the rider, some say the mare

some say love’s like the smoke, beyond all repair

 

But my darling says, Leonard, just let it go by,

that old silhouette on the great Western sky

So I pick out a tune and they move right along

and they’re gone like the smoke, they’re gone like this song

 

Extracted from the book: Leonard Cohen, Poems And Songs, Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

The Edge

Today I’ve written a quote, and then at the same time, I’ve converted the quote, into a Haiku. I’ll give you the quote first, then the Haiku

Quote: The Edge

 

“Life, is living on the edge

There’s no bottom nor top

Moving sideways is enough”   – Ivor Steven

 

Haiku: The Edge

 

Living on the edge

Moving sideways is enough

No bottom nor top

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

 

 

 

Time Travelers

It’s that time of the year, a Christmas message from Ivor. And above a picture of my family’s get together, for Danny’s 70th birthday. Only us siblings these days, from the left, Tum(Lawrie’s wife), Ivor, Danny, Lawrie(Standing), Miffy, and Miffy’s John took the picture.

 

Time Travelers 

 

Zap, a gigantic lightening bolt precedes a mystical power surge

Traversing the cobalt skies, like horizontally sleek outriggers

Vividly scoring chords, to hang our every word on

Like musical lines, writing out, our lost dreams and regrets

 

Sound-waves echoing, poles apart, going north, south, east and west

Conducting iridescent lights over our purple and orange sunset

Vibrating quasars, pulsating from deeply inside, outer-space

Focusing towards the huge magnetic Receiving Dish, signalling “An Arrival”

 

 

Recording a celestial traveler, singing with an angel’s voice

Resonating sweetly, like Handel’s, Messiah Hallelujah Chorus

Translated into our universal language of symphonic sound

Digitally televised for the world’s population to simultaneously view

 

The Super-Sonic Cosmic message to be heard loud and clear

“We’ve returned to your degraded planet earth”

“To again, bestow upon you, Peace And Goodwill”

“Like we’ve done before, Eons of Millenniums ago”

 

Ivor Steven  (c)

For All Of You

Finally, I’m going home late this afternoon. They seem to think my aorta might be the source of my problem, I’ve a bit of thickening there and a couple of small ulcers there. Treatment is more blood thinners at the moment, and I’ve another MRI next Thursday 27th December, and follow up appointments here on the Neuroscience department. Yeah !!

For All Of You

For her, for all of you

Take this heart of mine

This is all I have to give

Take my love

That’s all there is !!

Love for her, and all of you

Ivor Steven (c)

A Flowering Gum Tree

The day is rainy this morning

Christmas week, Geelong, Australia

Is usually dry and hot

But this year it’s not

Greg’s birthday today

I wonder what happened to yesterday

I’m sitting here at my hospital window

Overlooking old Ryrie Street

And the ancient flowering gum-tree

I’m watching the world travel bye

Or is the world watching me

And saying goodbye

Ivor Steven (c) 2018

The Spirit Is Quiet Tonight

The tree outside is silently waving

In the land of endless wind

I’m feeling this dry endless wind

And all the endless possibilities

Waving over this endless land

A land where my lost spirit bird

Gently waves to me

Waves with a broken wing

My lonely spirit bird

Quietly waves my land goodbye

It makes me wonder

Where do I go to now

My head is humming

The world is full of

I don’t know’s

Home is beyond the boundary

The boundary of tomorrow

Ivor Steven (c) 2018

My Collection

I’m laying here in my hospital bed, waiting for my next scan/test, I’ve been fasting for a while now. So I’m playing a YouTube collection here on my phone, through my headphones, and I thought I might as well share these personal selections with you, I hope you enjoy “My Collection” this morning, or whatever time it maybe wherever you are ❤️😆

Ivor Steven (c) 2018

Roasted Dry

In between meals

I’m nibbling on my nuts

They’re handy

And easy to find

But I’ve nearly eaten

All my unsalted nuts

Shaved, skinned and plain

Roasted dry

Warm and crunchy

They’ll fill that empty hole

A stomach, now full of my nuts

I’m sure my nuts are good for me

Good for my innards

Good to take-up my time

Ivor Steven (c) 2018