Category: Photos by Derrick Knight

Throwback Friday, The Ancient Fern Survives

Today’s Throwback poem is from June 2022, and is also in my book Perceptions, page 37.

Featured Image Above: by Derrick Knight > https://derrickjknight.com/2022/06/10/rich-pickings/

The Images below: are from my courtyard ..





The Ancient Fern Survives



Selfish, unopened minds remain numbed
False eyelashes are heavy and closed
Botoxed lips are silent and sealed
And elephant ears have been pegged out of sight



But there under our careless feet
The earth’s ferns have agelessly survived
Three hundred and sixty million years
Without changing the appearance of their golden leaves
That timelessly regenerate themselves
By naturally releasing their fertilising spores











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

“Bees”

Featured Image: Taken by Derrick Knight, who kindly allows me to reproduce his fabulous photos on my ‘Poetry Website’
>> https://derrickjknight.com/2024/07/06/save-by-the-bees/




“Bees”


Bustling busy bees

Brazenly brave

Benevolently beneficial

By behaviourally

Binding and bridging

Our beloved blossoms

They are the burlesque backbone

Behind every balmy breath

We blessedly breathe












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) July 2024

Standing Upright (a repost from August 2020)

Over at Weekly Prompts, the Wednesday Challenge is: Resilience
To visit their fabulous site click on >> Here


Below is, the original introduction from my post in August 2020.
“Hello dear readers, I’ve been writing this poem over the last three days, and I was struggling to obtain any rhythm between thoughts and words, then I saw a wondrous photo on Derrick Knight’s blog/website this morning, (which is my ‘Featured Image’ above), and his picture of the glorious old oak tree, immediately channeled my thoughts, into that of strength and “resilience“, and from there, my Title was formed, and my words started to become a more cohesive piece of poetry…. Thank you, Derrick, for allowing me to use this beautiful and impressive photo, with my humble little poem.” >> https://derrickjknight.com/

Please Note; “Standing Upright” appears in our book “Perceptions”, a Collaboration of Poems and Photographs from Ivor Steven and Derrick Knight (Nov 2022)


Standing Upright

My heart’s bruised from bygone blood-stones
Threaded together by the spirits of old bones
And there resting within my aging body’s sway
I am shedding soulful droplets on sunny days

The world’s foul winds had blown me off my feet
After wobbling down cold and dusty streets
Then a modern medicine man came with his young tribe
Re-tuning my broken pieces with rhythmical vibes
And they declared my heartstrings to be plucky enough
To handle tomorrow’s mystery masks and travelers’ handcuffs









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) July 2024

Under the Weeping Trees (a Limerick)

As many of you know, I am an appointed writer with the Coffee House Writers Magazine in the poetry section, and in the poetry group, we are given a monthly assignment on a different poem format. This month’s poetry classroom topic was to write a ‘Limerick’ … Below is the Limerick I presented for my July Assignment.

Featured Image: was taken by Derrick Knight, who kindly allows me to reproduce his wonderful photos on my poetry Website.
>> https://derrickjknight.com/2024/07/01/i-didnt-leave-the-car/



Under the Weeping Trees (a Limerick)

Resting here on my knees
Under the tall weeping trees
Waiting for my anxious mother
She’s out looking for my silly brother
He’s randy and went chasing the pretty fillies









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) July 2024

Throwback Friday, Connected

Today, my Throwback Friday poem was originally inspired by the three photos in my article … The photos were all taken by Derrick Knight, who kindly allowed me to reproduce them here for my poem “Connected” …
The poem also appears in our collaborative Book of Poems and Photographs, “Perceptions”, on page 19.


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









Until Eyes Hear Sound: is NOW Available From,


Lulu Books: https://www.lulu.com/shop/ivor-steven/until-eyes-hear-sound/paperback/product-jeev886.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Jaymah Press: https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/product-page/until-eyes-hear-sound

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) May 2024

Stalking the Wards (a Tanka)

A poem I wrote in response to Derrick Knight’s article about “Clearing Up After Storm Gerrit” >> https://derrickjknight.com/2024/01/03/clearing-up-after-storm-gerrit/

Please Note: All photos in my post today were originally taken by Derrick Knight, and I have ‘cropped’ the ones below to fit my article





Stalking the Wards (a Tanka)




After the wild storm

Nature wears her old matron’s

Reigning uniform

Staying to stalk the ward’s lawns

And nurse flora back to norm








Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

Nature’s Way (a Rhyming Haiku)

Many of you know of my friendship with Derrick Knight … last night his property was lashed by gale force winds and in response to his article about the damage to his wonderful garden, I wrote this Haiku. >> https://derrickjknight.com/2023/12/21/fearing-for-the-weeping-birch/ Please Note; All photos reproduced on this post, were taken by Derrick






Nature’s Way (a Rhyming Haiku)




Be that as it may

Nature’s in charge of our days

We don’t have a say









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) December 2023

Balance

Hello dear readers, I’ve just arrived back home after my evening out at the “Twilight Market” event … For me, the night was a balancing act between my general tiredness and my willingness to participate in the event. Good news, I managed to run my stall ok, but now this little old hero is on the tired end of the “seesaw” … 😴
The poem “Balance” is in “Our” book Perceptions (page 5), and the Featured Image Above, was taken by Derrick Knight >> https://derrickjknight.com/2020/07/14/keeping-its-balance/



Balance


There is a distant shore
Between why and when
Life is a seesaw
Between hero’s and heroine’s


There is a balance
Between ups and downs
Life is a challenge
Between smiles and frowns


There is a common ground
Between storms and calmness
Life is a humming sound
Between love and blindness








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) December 2023

Throwback Friday, Time Watches Over Us

Todays Throwback Friday poem is from Dec 1st 2021, and appears in “Our” colourful Book “Perceptions” (page 25)

 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) December 1st 2023

I Am Tree

Over at Weekly Prompts, the Weekend Challenge is the word: Why. You may visit their fabulous site by clicking on >> Here
Featured Image Above: A photo taken by Derrick Knight, >> https://derrickjknight.com/2023/10/27/autumn-has-arrived/ and again he has kindly given me permission to reproduce his intriguing photo, here on my poetry site … and I am always asking myself, Why?


I Am Tree 

 
 
I am the one 

Leaning against the sands of time  

I am the one 

Binding the earth together  

I am the one 

Delivering clean air to all  


I am the only one! 


Do not slaughter me 

Like another one of 

Mankind’s maniacal genocides  


Please regenerate me  

Before all of my ashes 

Are swept out to sea 







Ivor Steven (c) October 2023