My tears are only droplets
Into a sea of grief
Despite my cloudy tears
I see, there above
The night sky is clear
Despite my inner gloom
I see, there above
A bright crescent moon
Despite my blinding wonder
I see, there above
She’s cradling a shining star
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
I Handed Her My Card
I had lunch at the office
That is, the Box Office Cafe
My favourite local eatery
I enjoyed a tasty Vietnamese salad
Then I took some photos on my camera-phone
Trying to capture the venues’ rustic atmosphere
Leafy plants in pots and hanging baskets
And there’s abstract paintings on display
Along side artworks painted directly onto the walls
All enhancing the Cafe’s peaceful aura
In front of the wine collection’s shelves
There’s a large table of magazines
Where my ‘Tullawalla Booklets’ lay for patrons to read
And as is my way, I started up a conversation
And there was a young lady at the adjacent table
Her name was Katie, and coincidently
She knew about the ‘Lowercase’ poetry group
I told her when and where, they were to next meet
Then she intimated she might attend the recital night
With a friendly smile, I handed her my poetry card
PS: Surprise, surprise, here I am back a the Box Office Cafe for breakfast, on Saturday morning, of the Australia Day, long weekend. I don’t often go out for breakfast, but the weather is perfect, and I’ve earned myself a treat this week. Below a couple of pic’s of my fabulous breakfast.
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
Here Comes The Rain
The dawn’s dark rain-clouds
Of hovering graceful greys
Are cascading their silver linings
And the falling rain sparkles
Lighting up the morning sky
Resonating nature’s sounds
Heaven’s musical crescendo
The sweetest of all musical notes
A drumming of heavy raindrops
Dancing on the ground
And as the awakening rains
Come tumbling down
The torrents of regenerating waters
Are now crying rivers through burning trees
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
Hello readers and followers, this is poem I posted 3 weeks ago, but today I’ve revised some words and the format. I read this poem to my poetry group on Sunday, and after the usual discussion the group suggested some subtle changes, to give my piece an even more powerful punch….. and after swapping things around a little, this is my revised poem…. with sincere thanks to members of my wonderful poetry group…..below I’ve attached a photo of the original poem….
Waiting
The earth is waiting
Sick of humans stalling
And their time wasting
They know it’s time
Waiting for their promised cheers
Waiting for less destructive years
Will they give her resolutions
Of better times ahead
Will they finally read
Thor’s neon signs
Will they notice
A smoke covered sun
Will they be able to breathe the air
As a united one
The earth cannot watch
Nor wait
While humans
Fill their own greedy plates
Why are they celebrating?
Like blind fools, that are always pretending
As if nothing is going wrong
They can hear the whales crying songs
They can see the polar caps are melting
They can taste the venom of government’s lying
In the following video/song, if you could metaphorically place earth and human’s between the lyrics, you might understand why I chose this song by Damien Rice..
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
This weekend the Word/Photo Challenge is ‘Unusual‘. And today I went down to the beautiful Geelong waterfront for a picnic lunch and a walk around the picturesque foreshore, and afterwards, sitting at the Valhalla Bar, sipping on a beer or two, I wrote this attached poem, about the ‘unusual’ Poppy-Kettle display Please go and visit the “Weekly Prompt” by clicking >> HERE
Poppy-Kettle
My lost week has fallen into Sunday
And I’m going out to enjoy the clear sunshine
The Geelong skyline is finally smoke free
Our Corio Bay is unusually dead-calm
The water is like a glassy blue mirror
As I stroll along grassy banks of the foreshore
I rest myself upon a big quartz rock
Under the shade of a palm tree
A perfect locale to have my picnic lunch
Sitting next to an intriguing Poppy-Kettle display
Miniature bronze statues for everyone to see
A children’s mystical piece of fantasy land
Nearby there’s also a fairy tale’s giant green dragon
Dragons are a mythical favourite of mine
The area has an aura of a child’s magical kingdom
And my dreamy imagination grasps me to be almost there
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
Below an overcast sky
A crack appears in my cloud of guilt
This widening chasm darkened
Distorting the edges of distant memories
A dear friend, passed away, last week
I didn’t get to say goodbye
His funeral, was private
And I need to send a condolence card
For these seven days of my life
The card has stayed on my table
I’m trying to write to his bereaved wife
But my hand’s unsteady and not able
I’m yet to put pen to card
I’m yet to allow myself to cry hard
I’m yet to push myself to go an extra yard
Now, I must get my head out of these clouds
Lift my quill, for a mate, who was brave and proud
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
Hello, you taste so sweet
These angelic drops of rain
Landing on my freckled cheeks
Refreshing my dry skin
Instead of yesterday’s
Annoying and staining spots
Full of dirt and smoke
Stinging my teary eyes
Finally today, a cooling breeze
Clearing our hazy sky
And here comes the sun
Minus her dusty halo of grey
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
The midweek word/photo challenge is; Family Albums. My article and poem isn’t really about a family album, but these are the photos I took today, depicting the eeriness of our smokey and rainy sky…. Please go and visit the Weekly Prompts site by clicking>> HERE
Above Feature Image: I’m standing in light rain, at the end of my lane, but the sky is still a smokey haze, which is very eerie…..
Left. The smokey sky and sun at end of my lane. Right. The thunderstorm this afternoon
Left. A smokey beach in the morning Right. Looking straight at the sun on the beach
Eerie Sky, Teasing Rain
The eeriness is hard to explain
Our sky is smokey again
But here I stand in the rain
At the end of my dusty lane
Smelling the stench of our fiery haze
Now mixed with the aroma of wet maize
I’m stunned, and unearthly amazed
And Thor’s neon lights add to my daze
This summer storm is yet to fully expound
Tiny drops are struggling to cover the ground
The day’s hot, but our sun cannot be found
And this afternoon’s darkness leaves me spellbound
Footnote: As I’m about to post this article, we are having some heavy rain and there is more forecast for next Monday…. At last the sky is crying over the fires of South-Eastern Australia, hopefully enough to give our firefighters some much needed respite… Yeah.
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
#1 Bestselling New Poetry Anthology, Pain & Renewal features a collection of incredible voices — from Pulitzer & Pushcart prize winners to brand new poets, it’s filled with moving poetry about the highs and lows of the human experience. From love and loss to death and redemption — and beyond.”There are as many forms of pain as there are paths to renewal, and I can think of no better way to explore this than through collected stories of people from around the world. In the same way the broader themes of a good book are not conveyed in one line but through many small and dispersed instances, the broader truths of pain and renewal bare their patterns when the struggles and victories of the individual are placed alongside those of the many. Read from cover to cover, I believe many of these patterns can be found in this anthology.” – Brian Geiger (Editor)
You can get the digital version here, if you want to read it on your computer, phone, tablet, or Kindle device.
And you can get the print version here, if you’re the bookish type.
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
Below, as per usual with my posts, I have an attached video/music for your enjoyment, however today this video is very special , and I would sincerely like to thank, Stephanie Stickel, for allowing me use this wonderful video, of her drawing, with the music of Thomas Peter-Horas(Sarah), and played by Chen on piano .
Feature Image above: The photo I received today; my niece Kerri, and my grand-niece Kylie(My Philadelphia faeries), there smiles make me smile xx
Below Images: The smokey haze outside my front door today, 500 yards away at the end of my lane.
Smoke, And Happy Tears Today
Again, I’ve smokey tears in my eyes
But today they’re not, from those terrible fires
I’ve just received a photo, via magical digital wires
From the girl of my promised forever bond
And who lives on my soul’s golden pond
She’s knowingly smiling, at my heart’s open streams
Graciously enjoying all of life’s hard regimes
And handling her body’s constant extremes
Never does she falter, from her declared theme
“Don’t Let the World Bring You Down”
She’ll always be my jewel of renown
A ray of inspiring hope, in that distant sky
My dearest really real faery, flying so high
Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020
