Category: Peace

The Road East, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello dear readers and followers, I am a writer for “Coffee House Writers magazine” (USA), on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “The Road East”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the article, at Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/the-road-east/









All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm



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) September 2024

The Moon’s Podium






The Moon’s Podium



The Olympics are over
Now! Is an appropriate time
For our ancient and humble moon
To accept the shiniest medal
For being the friendly games
All around the World, marathon champion
During the endless days and sleepless nights
Our timeless warrior of the sky
Was the competitors overseeing, quiet achiever

Henceforth I duly declare
The “All Nations” podium belongs to the moon
For today, tonight, and all of our tomorrow’s












All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm


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) August 2024

Is There Peace On the Horizon? (a Tanka)

Over at Weekly Prompts, the Wednesday Challenge is: Sunset … you may visit their fabulous site by clicking on >> Here.
My poem is about “Twilight”, just after Sunset.





Is There Peace On the Horizon?
(a Tanka)


The pink twilight sky

And the bluestone clouds unite 

At the horizon 

Nature’s colours interact

Without fighting for the light








All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm

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 direct for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com





Ivor Steven (c) June 2024

Wings of Peace (A Tanka)




Wings of Peace (a Tanka)




I’m ready to fly 

Away, from this ravaged land

Where can peace be found? 

Are my wings sturdy enough? 

To carry freedom’s torn flag





Hoppipolla, by Sigur Ros

Hoppípolla is a beautiful and emotional song by the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. The title itself is a delightful blend of words: it’s a univerbation of “hoppa í polla,” which translates to “hopping into puddles” in Icelandic. The lyrics of the song are mainly in Icelandic, but they also include some nonsensical phrases in a language the band calls Vonlenska or “Hopelandic.”
The essence of “Hoppípolla” captures the carefree joy of childhood—the moments when we find delight and freedom by jumping in rain puddles. It’s a celebration of innocence, playfulness, and the simple pleasures of life. 🌧️👣




What Happened to Motherland?, is up at Coffee House Writers Magazine

Hello dear readers and followers, I now write for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “What Happened to Motherland”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. … please click on the link below to read my poem, at Coffee House Writers >>

https://coffeehousewriters.com/what-happened-to-motherland/






Ivor Steven (c) June 2022

Mushroom Clouds




Why is there always a dark side

When the moon shines so bright

Who’s taking us on this blindfold ride

While our reasoning is out of sight


Why is there always a silver lining

When treacherous clouds are hovering so low

Who’s making the lower world enchanting

While our malignant demons grow and grow


Why do we call them magic mushrooms?

When all they bring is gloom and doom

Who’s controlling this aging Mother

While our pleading hands are hustled undercover







Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2023

The White Azalea Peace Garden

Hello dear readers and followers, I am reposting this poem I wrote in July 2022 in response to Eugi’s “Moonwashed Weekly Prompt” – Peaceable … to visit her fabulous site, please click on >> Here





The White Azalea Peace Garden


I stare at the garden plaque

There on the ground

In front of the white Azalea bushes


I sit on the park bench and wonder

Here under a clear blue sky

Why? Does the sun shine on our world


I was born in nineteen fifty one

Here under a broken moon

During the second year of the Korean War


I stand and walk away

Where must I go?

To view the whole of the moon



Throwback Friday, Flying Bricks of War

Today I am presenting another poem that will be appearing in my new book “Until Eyes Hear Sound”. I wrote ‘Flying Bricks of War’ in May 2021, and the poem will be the opening piece in Chapter 6. War! Without Peace

Featured Image Above: Gaza Strip border, Kibbutz Netiv Ha’Asara, Israel © Kai Wiendenhofer




Flying Bricks of War


There is a divisive brick wall

That stands harsh and tall

To stop people breaking their fall


Then the leaders in ivory towers

Ceased talking about peace and flowers

And hurled bricks into that sandy strip

One brick after another brick

Flew from one side to the other

Smashing innocent children and mothers


Flying bricks crumbling into dust

Creating dirty clouds of mistrust


The walls of Babylon fell again

As brick upon brick crushed human brains


Brick upon brick filled the bloody drains

Brick upon brick killed and maimed








Tullawalla is Available From

Jaymah Press:https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/

Ivor Steven: email, ivorrs20@gmail.com

Amazon: search via, ‘Tullawalla by Ivor Steven’


AND
Perceptions is Now Available via:

Amazon: https://amzn.asia/d/4yFHWrT

Jaymah Press: https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/

Lulu Books: https://www.lulu.com/shop/ivor-steven-and-derrick-knight/perceptions/hardcover/product-2pwqe4.html?q=Perceptions+by+Ivor+Steven&page=1&pageSize=4

OR: email me directly for a signed copy – ivorrs20@gmail.com  




Ivor Steven (c) July 2023

Defying the Odds

Featured Images: were taken at the local Kindergarten, where the school’s gardener lovingly maintains the beautiful garden, and she excitedly pointed out that, despite it being the start of winter, there were 2 sunflower plants ‘defying the odds’. and actually thriving and blooming … I smiled at her joyful enthusiasm, however inwardly I was silently weeping for those still suffereing in wartorn Ukraine.
So here today I am reposting “5” of my “Sunflower” poems relating to the “Ukrainian” war.

We Are the Carrier Pigeons


 
Are our Sunflowers wilting? 

Can they survive, prosper, and regrow? 

They will need more  

Genuine assistance 

Our promissory words 

And tuneless birdsongs 

Are not enough 

We cannot forget them 

We all need to speak up 

Let our world of voices be heard 

Draft a poem, a letter 

Of protest, today, tomorrow 

We are the carrier pigeons 

May our messages for peace 

Chime over the people of Russia 


Defiantly (a Haiku)

Sunflowers do bloom

Through the war of destruction

Bravely defiant


An Unseeded Renewal (a Tanka)



Sunflowers of peace

We have not forgotten you

The war has not stopped

Killing fields are still on fire

Young stems need help to survive


A Banner of Sunflowers

Bann
look!

up there

above the War’s

darkest clouds

there is a blue banner

embroided with sunflowers

swaying

through a hole

in the eastern sky

bearing a message

of ‘Hello’

or is it ‘Goodbye’?

a sweeping reminder

from our Ancestors

“we feel your suffering and pain

from the merciless hard rain

blood filled rivers and cratered plains

smoke filled skylines and cracked windowpanes”

“however, we also know

beyond the broken horizon

the sunflower seeds of hope

will germinate again

and future seeds for peace

will regenerate a new campaign“




Sunflower Seeds (a Tanka)

Blue skies were mellow

Fields were peaceful and yellow

Sunflowers grew free

Then foreign tanks squashed their seeds

On tomorrow’s scarred harrows







Ivor Steven (c) May 2023