Philosophical – Page 3 – Ivor.Plumber/Poet

How, When and Why?

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” ~ Carl Jung

Thank you to Gigi for her thought-evocative “Questions” article, >> https://gigisrantsandraves.wordpress.com/2025/06/12/questions-11/
which inspired me to write this questionable poetic response.

Mysterious Alien spacecraft trails in the morning sky

A healthy-looking Theo, after spending the frosty night under his beach umbrella

How, When, and Why?

Too many unanswerable questions for me
“They” say all life originated from the sea
But that doesn’t explain how we came to be

I’m here talking to Theo the Tomato Tree
About how he survived last night’s Jack Frosty
And we’re waiting for “those aliens” next corroboree

When will “They” mystically reprogram the story?
That mum told me about the birds and the bees
… Ivor’s uncorroborated theory!

Ivor Steven (c) June 2025

A Synchronized Dream

Micropoetry is an ultra-short form of poetry, typically under 25 words or 140 characters. It blends creative brevity with precise language, characterized by sharp imagery and emotional depth, while allowing diverse interpretations. My poem below is 24 words.

A Synchronized Dream (a Micropoem)

Today’s full moon
Caresses my eyes
And the sky’s new rainbow
Impresses me to realize
I need not apologize
For dreaming about
Tomorrow’s sunrise

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 © June 2025

A Technical Knockout

Today’s poem is from a poetic response that I post about ‘Violet’s’ emotive poem >> https://violetslentz.home.blog/2025/05/27/pink-slip-2/

And over at Weekly Prompts, it’s the last weekend of the month and time for their One Day Prompt! To visit their fabulous site, please click on > Here

A Technical Knockout

When you’re down and out
feeling like a dry river-bed trout
flipping around after an endless drought
And you’re in the vacant corner of another losing bout
There’ll be one day, without doubt
you’ll have nothing left to shout about

Please, I beg, one last Guinness stout
before I get kicked in the spout
by Trump’s next lockout roundabout

After the ruthless rout,
when I blacked out
I was told by a local layabout
“there was no doubt,
the decision was a Technical Knockout”

Ivor Steven (c) June 2025

Throwback Friday, Odds and Sods, Spots and Blots

Today’s Throwback Friday poem is an odd collection of anecdotes from my hospital bed, written in December 2018. After I had just suffered a ‘minor’ stroke, and these were the jumbled thoughts that were tumbling out of my tired and confused mind …

Odds and Sods, Spots and Blots

Lazy Bones

Cordless phones
Garden gnomes
Overhead drones
Windowless homes
Creaks and moans
Lazy bones

Pain

Pain is like the rain
It comes and goes
Heavy and light

A Lie

It’s a lie that I don’t cry
It’s a lie that I passed you by
It’s a lie that I never tried
It’s a lie that I’ll never die

Mirror

Mirror, mirror, on the wall
You showed me how to stand tall
Again, it’s time for your call

Judge

I’m neither a judge
Nor a dealer in sludge
I’d rather eat some fudge
And give my side of life a nudge

Even Though

Love is all above thee
Love is a blanket of autumn leaves
Love showers us with glee
Love is everywhere, to feel and see

Ivor Stven May 2025

Nature’s Seeds

In response to Eugi’s Moonlighted Musings Prompt
>> https://amanpan.com/2025/05/27/moonwashed-weekly-prompt-may-27-2025/

a simple flower
summons smiles
calming of the day

Let one or more words in my poem be your inspiration.
Prompt contributions can be any variation of the prompt and/or image.

Today’s short verse was originally written as a poetic comment to Sadje’s lovely poem >> When leaves become words – Keep it alive

Nature’s Seeds

May the world’s greed turn into earthly seeds
Nature’s flower seeds, wheat seeds, and tree seeds
And proceed to feed all those in need

Ivor Steven (c) May 2027

Throwback Friday, What Is Normal, My Son?

Today’s Throwback Friday Poem is from July 2020, during the middle of the ‘Covid Era’, but I think my words could now be applied to the ‘Trump Era’

What Is Normal, My Son?

Breakfast and a hot cuppa
Under my cosy verandah
As per normal, if it’s not too chilly
And I’m having my normal courtyard chat
With my friends, Phillip the penguin
And the wise old owl, Oscar
We’re talking about the future
Whether life will ever be normal again

Oscar quietly hoots
“What is normal, my son?”
Little Phillip chirped in
“Normal is a state of mind
A comfort zone in time
Like swimming in the deep blue sea every day.”
Oscar agreed with Phillip
“Normal’s been perched in the same tree every night.”
Oscar and Phillip grinned and nodded at each other
And I listened and pondered

Smiling at my two furry companions
I added, “Our old normal won’t be normal anymore.”
Oscar’s brows lowered, and he said
“As per normal these days
We shall patiently try to adapt, then wait and see
What colour will the new normal turn out to be
Black, white, or green like the trees
Maybe the striped yellow of our life-giving bees”

Ivor Steven (c) May 2025

Sunday Shroud

Over at Weekly Prompts, the Weekend Challenge is the word Obsession. To visit their fabulous site, please click on >> Here.
Some people say that I am obsessed with taking photos of the daytime moon … which is probably true, but in my poem today, I am using the ‘moon’ as a metaphor for ‘Easter Sunday’ …

Sunday Shroud

now you see me
now you don’t
I’m as pure as the driven snow
and I covertly nudge my way
through the cumulus clouds
looking for that opening in the sky
where I can display my Sunday Shroud
and dispel that dreaded prophecy
“He does not return”

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 © April 2025

Statuettes and Silhouettes

A Silhouette Quote: “The faceless silhouettes seemed to look at each other, as if wishing they could resolve the situation between themselves, without having to trouble their owners.”
― Hernan Diaz, Trust

Statuettes and Silhouettes

Without Indulging in the planet’s regrets
Or wearing any showy epaulets
Our golden sun peacefully sets

Meanwhile
From the shady balconies of the ruler’s minarets

When will our world’s shadowy statuettes
Leave the safety of their bassinets
And unite our twilight’s
Xenophobic silhouettes?

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

One Day, or: Bless My Soul

Today’s poem was my inspired poetic response to David’s “Sijo”, ‘Of all things, or: Bridge to nowhere’. >> https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/03/28/of-all-things-or-bridge-to-nowhere/
Over at Weekly Prompts, since it’s the last weekend of the month, “One Day” is again the monthly Prompt! To visit their fabulous site, please click on >> Here

One Day, or: Bless My Soul

Beneath our feet, there lies a common mound
Between our ears, the winds of time hear no sound
Below our eyes, the promised land cannot be found
Within our hearts, we share the lost and drowned

Beyond our souls, the world’s burial grounds
Belong to the hounds, who run the battlegrounds