Featured Image Above: by Derrick Knight, who kindly allows me to reproduce his photos here on my poetry website …
A World Of Puppets (a Tanka)
Are we the puppets?
Punch and Judy’s without strings
Who’s contolling things?
As Putin’s a dummy too
Ask the children in Russia
Ivor Steven (c) February 2022
Can you hear the ghosts of Sunday?
“Sunday, Bloody Sunday”
From your distant country’s
On the edge of peace and tranquility
Within your rural trees of serenity
Beyond invisible borders of rivalry
Between oblivious inequality
From the old schoolyard bully
Overseeing an avoidable atrocity
Again another “Sunday, Bloody Sunday”
How can they forget history so quickly?
I have a few thank you’s to accompay the writing of my piece “The Final Sunset”.
Firstly my opening stanza was written as a response to Susi’s inspiring post today, thank you Susi. https://iwriteher.com/2022/02/24/peace-please/ Thank you to David Redpath, for reminding me of Bob Dylan’s poignant protest song, “Masters Of War” , which I have attached below. https://highwaybloggery.com/2022/02/24/masters-of-war/ , and thank you to Derrick Knight for allowing me to use his stunning “Sunset” photo as my featured photo here on my site, https://derrickjknight.com/2022/02/24/the-assistant-photographer-saves-the-day/
The Final Sunset
Wrong versus right
War versus peace
Greed versus commonsense
Destruction versus harmony
Killing versus living
War is not the people’s choice
Is this to be our final sunset
Will she justifiably refuse
To open her golden eye
Upon another shattering dawn
Of our manufactured doom
Ivor Steven (c) February 2022
Hoot, listen and learn
The old wise owl said sternly
Hoot, then he adjourned
Ivor Steven (c) January 2022
Please Note: The Idyll winery estate, located in the picturesque Moorabool Valley area, is only 15 km from my front door, and are well renowned for their award winner Cabernet Sauvignon blends … 2021 – New York International Wine Competition – Idyll Victoria Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold
Waiting In Line
lazing in a valley of vines
under the summer sunshine
with a bottle of Idyll wine
drank in no time
dandy and sublime
heeds no rhyme
beyond an imaginary climb
along the river of time
that awaits a final line
after life’s closing pantomime
Ivor Steven (c) January 2022
Apple blossom and white lilies are flowers that symbolize peace, but we need more than nature’s beautiful flowers to set the white doves free …
White Flowers (a Haiku)
May we all see peace
Bloom beyond the seasonal
Lilies and blossom
Ivor Steven (c) January 2022
A Courtyard Song
The spring morn is crisp
Sun-rays cling onto my chest
Porridge and lemon-ginger tea
Refresh my sleepy soul
Courtyard flowers arouse my eyes
Music vibrates the air
With a piano tune from Ludovico Einaudi
And Frankie quietly watches on
I write a comment for Derrick
His home in England needs a plumber
Then I send a song to Susi in America
To compliment her lovely ‘Fall’ poem
Carolyn’s words enrich my heart
But she will need her tissues
When she plays the video/music song
Only 8.00 am, and my message box is full
And now, the old poet’s day begins
Ivor Steven (c) October 2021
Eugi’s Weekly Prompt – “Connector” – September 23, 2021, click on the link to visit her fabulous site . >> https://amanpan.com/2021/09/23/eugis-weekly-prompt-connector-sept-23-2021/
Where to Now?
Where do they hide?
When the sea is at full-tide
What lays beyond the sand?
In foreign hands on distant lands
Their long windy road is untraveled
With trials of fear yet to be unravelled
Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2021
My poem today is made from a list of comments that I have left on fellow ‘Bloggers’ sites, and in order of stanza appearance these are the writers sites for you to visit ..
Bart – https://bartbarkerpoet.com/
Sadje – https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/
Punam – https://paeansunpluggedblog.wordpress.com/
Sadje – https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/
Annette – https://aikalandros.com/
Dwight – https://rothpoetry.wordpress.com/
Michelle~M – https://herwritinghaven.com/
Catxman – https://catxman.wordpress.com/
Mark – https://havocandconsequence.wordpress.com/
Cindy – https://uniquelyfitblog.com/
Carol – https://therapybits.com/
Cassa – https://flickerofthoughts.com/
Windwhisperer – https://wildwindwhisperer.wordpress.com/
Worlds Beyond Thoughts
Laws are merely guide lines
For the arrows of love to climb
Mirror mirror on the wall
Recalls our joys and falls
Behind every mask there is a weathered face
Behind every face old lines survive in place
Behind every place memories live with grace
Evil eyes lurk in veiled skies
The wisdom of native ancestors should be listened to
And not be lost to the modern ways this arrogant world
The way of modern progress
Is to leave nature shamefully undressed
Nature and renewal walk down the garden path hand in hand
I hear church bells ring
I see the mouses die
And the clouds always cry
Keep the cup full, turn the power on
And the answer will come
Like a big jigsaw puzzle
Not all the pieces will fit back
And overall the world will look the same
I cannot dwell on what has been
While I feel my blade of grass is alive and green
Above and beyond the crusty dirt
The universe is a symphonic concert
They say that the truth hurts
Beware of cold desserts
..
Ivor Steven (c) September 14th 2021
Yesterday I sent a comment to Suzanne’s article [The Fork in the Road – Mapping uncertainty (wordpress.com)], and my words were basically the same as my poem below …
Featured Image Above: Bing Images, Nine.com.au
Yes, They Know!
silently waiting
under our sacred Uluru
the ancient rock is ready to erupt
corporate bodies lie
governments lie
banks lie
religious leaders lie
and we the human race
blindly commit suicide
everyday we are damaging mother nature
the lifeblood of planet earth
greed is not a life giving seed
greed only makes the down trodden bleed
and continually queuing up for a feed
greed never listens
to our compassionate or humanitarian pleas
our dreams are being slowly strangled
by mysterious chemicals and noxious weeds
and we are drowning in mercury filled seas
you know what really “Bugs” me
that those despots, who own this stupid world
THEY KNOW
YES YOU KNOW AND I KNOW
THEY KNOW!
Ivor Steven (c) June 2021
