Tower To Heaven

There was a raging storm last night, I struggled to sleep, I was in and out of my dreams, and during my semi-conscious times, I jotted down these lines.

I remember the day

Like it was yesterday

A cold morning, ten o’clock

I, a shadow in the paddock

Standing beside a giant pylon

I looked up to heaven

Straight up the tower

The tower of power

Crosses of galvanized iron

Shiny under the winter sun

Wind whistling through its huge steel web

Howling like hades walking dead

And demons screaming in my head

My spirit begun climbing the spire

Clambering higher and higher

Up the pyramid of life’s wires

Desperate, I grasp at my ultimate desire

A visionary mission before I die

To embrace a piece of my angels sky

 

To the amazing Leonard Cohen, I thank you for being the inspiration behind my writings, over and over your words and songs have soothed the depths of my soul, and again you’ve caressed my heart during my times of sorrow, bless you, up there in your tower of song.

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

 

 

My Rural Town

WEEKLY PROMPTS, PHOTO CHALLENGE

Our Photo Challenge is , Bucolic

I live on the out-skirts of Geelong, and the city is a reasonable size with a population of 240,000. But here I am, virtually on the town’s northwestern back fence, and only a dead-end dirt road is outside my front door.

The back fences of north-west Geelong                                   The dirt lane outside my home.

At the end of my dirt lane is a walking path that I use frequently. I can walk to my favourite coffee venue, The Moorabool Valley Chocolate Cafe, set in a rustic homestead with a beautiful view over the Moorabool River Valley. Attached link is a poem about the cafe.   https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2017/10/15/cheeky-magpie/

The view over the Moorabool Valley                                        Sunset along the walking path

The featured image at the beginning of the post is of our local mountain ranges, called the You-Yangs. Here the picture is taken from Geelong’s Eastern Park/Botanical Gardens, looking across Corio Bay towards the You-Yangs.

A Slide-show of pictures from around our City By The Bay

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Ivor Steven (c)  2018

“I See The Universe In A Blade Of Grass”

FIFTY YEARS AGO — WE SANG THIS SONG

 

“I See The Universe In A Blade Of Grass” **

I’m exhausted

And wearing paper-thin

I’ve been crying too often

My salty tears

Have dried my skin

Cracked the corners of my eyes

And etched my chin

My retina’s are burning

X-rays through hedges

My troubled bridge is worn

I cannot see the dawn

I sit alone and stare

At this daily glare

From the children over there

Innocent eyes looking sad and bare

Desperate for care

Gasping for free air

 

** These words are taken from a line in Sean Rowe’s song, The Lonely Maze, 2012.

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

 

Dear Friends, A Letter To You

Dear friends

Last night I went out

Enjoyed myself

Good company and plenty of fun

There were some children there

I saw the children laughing

At the foolish antics

Of us silly adults

I arrived back home

After midnight

Then I read in bed

Some of my blog comments

Responses to my recent poems

About “We can help the children”

I was deeply touched

I started crying

Emotions tore at my heartstrings

Tears flooded my soul

Your replies were sincere

And compassionately moving

Dear friends

I thank you

One and all

May our solidarity

“Help the children”

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

Tit Bits #13

This is my 13th writing of “Tit Bits”, and coincidently today is Friday 13th. I’m not sure whether this means good luck or bad luck for my post today ??

Our pain is like rain

The pain comes and goes

Heavy and light

He’s got us trumped

There’s more poison

In his venom

The facts are there, for all to see

But all the blind eyes are covered in cotton wool

Their ears are buried in the sand

And toes paddling in their own bullshit quagmire

Now is the time to help

Doing the little things that count

Little step after little step

And in time they become one big stride

I hope these tears of mine

Become the glassy mirrors

Of hope

For the frightened children

They need our love

Love is a life-line

Love feeds a soul

Love revives a heart

Love is the meaning of life

Life is love

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018 

 

A Single Atom

Weekly Word Prompt:  Subliminal  click to view all the responses to this weeks word prompts 

For the weekly word prompt “Subliminal” I’m reposting this old poem of mine “A Single Atom”, which I originally created from a very mixed up and vague dream I had when I was experiencing a lot of guilt complexes about a new relationship I was having at the time, only a year after my wifes passing. My subconscious was subtly  injecting doubts into my mind during my sleep !!

A Single Atom

I see a shooting star, traverse the full-moon

Like a jungle bushfire, raging out of sight

I feel the heat of midday, smothering the night

Like a warm body, inside her tomb

I see the dawn, without the golden sun

Like a Lyrebird, singing all out of tune

I hear the morning rain, without a cloud in the sky

Like yesterdays floods, leaving her high and dry

I see a sandy beach, awash by a tidal wave

Like a burning desert, water is her grave

I fill lonely sheets, with empty dreams

Like a dark chasms’ irrelevant beams

I see a summer leaf, wilted by a frosty Autumn

Like an unwatered orchid, opening to an old anthem

I feel like a splintered heart, inside a single atom

Like a snakes dead skin, her rejected emblem

Ivor Steven. (c)  2018

Grindstone Potion

From before the start

You ripped out my heart

And splintered my bones

With your sharpest stones

You laugh and mock

I’m pieces of crushed rock

 

Waiting at every station

You left me in slow motion

With beach-sand in my pocket

I’m holding an empty locket

Cast adrift in the ocean

I’m free of your grindstone potion

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

Featured Image:  Bing.  whyou.deviantart.com

Is The Plumber A Poet, Or Is The Poet A Plumber

Weekly Prompts Photo Challenge  

Unusual Shape

Squares And Rounds

Do you see what I see

There’s a kennel on the shed

‘Twas a little dogs favourite bed

20180625_153048 (1)

Do you see what I see

There’s a five foot hole in the ground

Plumbing pipes all around

 

Do you see what I see

There are stormwater pipes under the house

An old plumbers been a dirty mouse

Do you see what I see

There are downpipe boxes and bends

A craftsman joined the ends

Shapes are up

shapes are down

Squares and rounds

 

The plumber’s had a busy week

The poet’s feeling tired and meek

Far too sore to even speak

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

 

A Single Weeping Tree (A Villanelle)

This is my first attempt at writing a Villanelle style of poem. As a beginner, I took the easy way out and restructured one of my old poems, and actually I’ve wanted to revise this old classic of mine, the poem was originally called “This Lost Shadow”, and dear Shefali of  writtenframes  ,inspired/prompted me to try to write one. I’m not sure if I’ve got the Villanelle style technically ok, so please, I’m open to any suggestions and corrections to my effort here.

 

I’m singing this song about a single weeping tree

Why am I so sleepy, am I ageing too quickly

I’m writing that book for a soul gone cold

 

I’m so physically worn and mentally at sea

Why am I so anxious and lonely

I’m singing this song about a single weeping tree

 

I’m writing a song about my return to the fold

Why am I so sore, have I lost my plea

I’m writing that book for a soul gone cold

 

I’m a furnace log, burning up with glee

I’m a sinking ship, all about to flee

I’m writing this song about a single weeping tree

 

I’m an overburdened camel, not to be told

I’m an empty desert, a void, far as the eye can see

I’m writing that book for a soul gone cold

 

I’m a broken branch, withering and dying, oh so slowly

I’m this lost shadow, wandering this barren land furtively

I’m singing this song about a single weeping tree

I’m writing that book for a soul gone cold

 

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

Thank you to dear Shefali for her wonderful encouragement and invaluable assistance, and if you would like to have a try at a Villanelle here’s a very good “How To” link,              A link to help you : https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Villanelle