Category: Nature

Mankind’s Dirty Hands

My poem today is based on a poetic ‘comment’ that I wrote on the “Chatter Blog’s” site, after reading her interesting article. For those who follow Colleen’s site, would agree that all of her posts are thought provoking and interesting, and you may visit her article by clicking on this link >> https://bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com/2021/12/29/hasnt-been-back/



Mankind’s Dirty Hands



I am an ancient oak tree

leaning against the prevailing breeze

the winds of time have shaped me

after blowing my disguise into the sea


now here I stand

a lifeless shadow

of leafless branches

within nature’s naked forest

waiting for mankind’s dirty hands

to stop the desert sands

from ravaging the last strands

of what remains hanging over our land





Ivor Steven (c) January 2022

“In the Valley of Light”, is published in Vita Brevis’ new anthology

I’m proud to announce that my poem “In the Valley of Light”, has been published in the Anthology “Nothing Divine Dies”, a poetry anthology about Nature, produce by Vita Brevis Press, which is Volume III, in their successful series of Anthologies, and my sincere thanks go to the editor Brian for kindly considering my poem.

“Nothing divine dies. All good is eternally reproductive. The beauty of nature reforms itself in the mind, and not for barren contemplation, but for new creation.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature

From a shaft of sunlight warming the kitchen floor to a lush forest by Walden pond, what is it about experiencing nature that pleases and fulfills us? In the third volume of the Vita Brevis Poetry Anthology,established and emerging poets from around the world show what nature means to them. This is nature poetry at its most precise and moving, continuing the long tradition of Transcendentalism, deciphering ourselves and the world that sustains us — with art.

You may purchase this outstanding Anthology via these links
>> Paperback (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737296519)
>> Ebook (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PDN3YGZ)



In the Valley of Light


The cold winds of change

Blow down from the mountain range

Gathering up lost souls estranged


Rescuing them from the forest of shadows

And release them into the sunny valleys of tomorrow


Where there is light, there is colour

Where there is colour, there is energy

Where there is energy, there is life





Ivor Steven (c) December 30th 2021

Nurture, Give, and Receive





Nurture, Give, and Receive




It’s a material world 

That leaves us in a whirl


What we really need 

Is a planet without greed 

That needs our minds to proceed

By growing and nurturing her seeds


Then our journey becomes that of the giver

Rather than being nature’s grieving receiver





Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

Future Skies (a Tanka)

Featured Image Above; and the two images below, are photos from Derrick Knight’s recent post “Pool Patterns”, and you may visit his article by clicking on this link
>> https://derrickjknight.com/2021/12/16/pool-patterns/

Pool Patterns


Future Skies




An old graceful world 

Shimmers upon mirrored pond 

Timeless images 

Nature’s blameless history 

Awaits future smogless skies 





Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

New Horizons





New Horizons





The calm whispering sky

Becomes the morning’s warm foot-bath

While doggie paws wander on the winding path


Dawn’s old cogs begin grinding

Rusty axles are slowly turning

Daytime wheels start rolling

Time never stops revolving

New seasons always keep evolving

And summertime lights up new horizons





Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

A Sunday Dream

Featured Image Above: has been cropped from the photo below, which was taken by Derrick Knight, and again I sincerely thank Derrick for allowing me to reproduce his photos here, in conjunction with my poems. You may visit his fabulous site by clicking on this link
>> https://derrickjknight.com/






A Sunday Dream




did you hear the stars sing last night?

no

neither did I

did you see the sun cry at dawn?

no

neither did I

did you hear the bells ring this morning?

no

neither did I

did you feel the earth sigh today?

no

neither did I


there is you, I, and why

why cannot they see the sky?

why do they always lie?

why do they not cry?






Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

Time Watches Over Us

The words of this poem were inspired by comments that I left on Colleen’s and Donna’s post’s recently [ https://bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com/ and https://www.djranch.org/ ], and the Featured Image Above, is one of Derrick Knight’s fabulous photos [ https://derrickjknight.com/ ] …

Time Watches Over Us


ours is not to reason why

for we are merely a fly

in the bigger sky

just passing by


however!


we do not stop learning

because every day

teaches us something new


and!


we cannot cease loving

because every day

our universe

creates something new

for us to love


yes!


the wheels of time

do not stop turning

and grandfather clocks

do not stop chiming





Ivor Steven (c) November 2021

Connected

My poem today has been inspired by the three photos here on my article … The photos were all taken by Derrick Knight, who kindly allowed me to reproduce them here for my poem “Connected” … You may visit Derrick’s fabulous site by clicking on this link >> https://derrickjknight.com/2021/11/19/traffic-control-duties/

Connected


up there

under draconian dark clouds

I see a blue moon rising

gracefully shrouding the horizon


meanwhile


back here

on terra firma

woodland Autumn leaves are

colourfully crowning her mounds


where nature’s

unruffled fauna are found

gratefully grazing upon her

wounded ground






Ivor Steven (c) November 2021