Hello dear readers and followers, I now write for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem“A Weloming Roar”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. … please click on the link below to read my poem, at Coffee House Writers.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/a-welcoming-roar/
Ivor Steven (c) August 2022
A poem from early in year, while I am here laid up in bed with a sore back
Day One
Before Day One
I wished upon a star
That the milk-bar
Was not too far away
My life’s bread was crumbling
My weathered hands were funmbling
Witnessing the last supper was humbling
Day One
There, beyond the darkness
Out in the universe
From a million light-years away
Under an alien’s microscopic frame
We would all look the same
After Day One
I wished for the dust to settle
Then waited for rusted gunmetal
To mature into household kettles
Whistling hallelujah to new sunflower petals
Ivor Steven (c) August 2022
Ten years ago my poem ‘This Lost Shadow‘ was accepted and published in the Literary Anthology, “Melpomene” . The poem was the first piece of mine to appear in a Published Book, and I was exceptionally proud to have my name in the authors list, along side the famous poets, Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, William Blake, and Paul Verlaine … Below, I have scanned my poem ‘This Lost Shadow’ directly from my copy of the book.
Featured Photo Above: Taken by Derrick Knight > derrickjknight – Ramblings
Gwendolyn Taunton (Editor)
Melpomene is a collection of poetry, prose and short fiction named after the Greek Muse of Tragedy. The central theme of the anthology is the beauty found in sorrow and the darker sides of human nature, drawing on literary traditions such as the ‘Damned Poets’, the Decadent Movement, Symbolism/Surrealism and the Fin de si cle. Melpomene is broken into four sections: Liber Veneficium (Book of Magic), Liber Maeroris (Book of Sorrow), Liber Fatum (Book of Fate), and Liber Mortuorum (Book of Death). Each section contains both new and classic literature dealing with these themes. Authors in this volume include Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, William Blake, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Gwendolyn Taunton, Azsacra Zarathustra, Math Jones, Bernardo Sena, J. Karl Bogartte, C. B. Liddell, James WF Roberts, Christopher Pankhurst, H. A. Cledones, Tamas Nagyatadi Horvath, L. Alexander Carle, Bill Noble, Marg Howlet, Ivor Steven and Gene Banyard. Containing works both old and new, Melpomene offers a prime selection of works on the melancholic side of existence, the transformational beauty of the esoteric, occult secrets hidden in verse, sorrow, doom and the inevitable grasp of death. Melpomene will haunt the reader with a dark and unearthly beauty that is both forbidden and forlorn…
Ivor Steven (c) July 2022
Hello dear readers and followers, I now write for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem“Today, Beside the Sea”, is in this weeks edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. … please click on the link below to read my poem, at Coffee House Writers >>
https://coffeehousewriters.com/today-beside-the-sea/
Ivor Steven (c) July 2022
Last night I attended the Geelong Writers Inc. monthly dinner/get together, which also featured the Book Launch of their new bi-annual Chapbook, Anomaly Street, and if you read the photo/scans attached below, you will understand my excitement of being selected in this outstanding collection of poetry with a difference, that creates jolts for flatlined minds ..
This is how my poem appeared in the Chapbook
Ivor Steven © July 2022
I am pleased and proud to announce that 2 of my poems, “Dreaming in a Dream (a Tanka)” & “Rumblings (a Senryu)” are published in the June Issue, Positive Words Magazine, and thank you to the Editor, Sandra, for selecting my poems… For further information about this fabulous Australian magazine, visit their site via this link > https://positivewordsmagazine.wordpress.com/
Attached below, I have scanned the poems directly from my copy of the Magazine.
Ivor Steven (c) June 2022
I feel honoured to have three pieces published in Lisa Tomey’s new Anthology, Social Justice Links. And congratulations to Lisa Tomey for this project. This is a raw and honest poetic view to the many aspects of social injustice in our world.
It takes courage to publish a book like this and I applaud Lisa Tomey for doing so! Congratulations Lisa and to all the writers/contributors!
My three poems in the Anthology are;
– A Hard Rain A’Gonna Fall on Polar Bears
– Burnt at the Cross
– That Nightly Sound
And the book is available for purchase via these Links
>> Lulu Link
>> Amazon Link
Social Justice Inks is about expression of social justice concerns and about working through these concerns, seeking answers is an ongoing process. We asked poets to offer their creative expressions about Social Justice and what they think about how to solve social problems in the world.
This collection is from poets around the world, offering their points of view about Social Justice. It has brought chill bumps to rise, blood to boil, hearts to beat, and hope to ring true.
It has often been said that awareness is the key from apathy to action. The writers offer such a strong awareness from so many perspectives. What will be interesting to hear is how the reader is affected and if the words stimulate change.
Last, we cannot express deeply enough the appreciation for all these talented individuals who have come together to establish a community for social awareness.
About the Artist & Cover Art
It has been a delight to work with Kay Payne as we developed a concept for the cover art. What I was looking for is something to show the positive spirit and power of nature. This evolved to the wreath of unity decorated with the spirit animals which came to mind. It is by no means exhaustive but was designed to show the power of the spirit. This comes from my personal belief that with unity we have strength and with strength and spirit we have power. May we always use that power to make positive changes in this world.
Kay Payne resides in Alabama with a paintbrush in one hand and a hammer in the other. She helps her beloved with his handyman work, while raising their blended family, full of love and sweet tea.
A Hard Rain A’Gonna Fall on Polar Bears
The foreigners have quietly landed
Wood from our trees has all been sanded
We’re a country without doors
Surrounded by golden shores
The openings are vast
The alien’s time is here at last
I cannot stop them, nor can you
If it be their will
Then, let it be
Join them, do not flee
We’ll all be hand in hand
To become the promised land
So let us be great again
Do not worry about the hard rain
Do not consider the faded sunlight
Forget about the rainstorm tonight
Who cares about Polar Bear’s with no ice?
World leaders say “Enjoy now, no matter the price”
Ivor Steven (c) May 2022
Hello readers and followers, the poem I am reposting today is an ”Alphabet” poem that I wrote in April 2019, two days before I left to fly to NewYork, on my way to visiting my Philadelphia cousins, who I had never met, and of course I was also to meet my favourite niece and penpal “Kerri” for the “First” time … So, I thought I would try to write my “First” every Alphabet Poem, to celebrate my “First” every trip to New York and Philadelphia …
Hot Cross Buns and Chocolates
America, here I come, ready or not
Beyond my bed-zoned borders
Chasing those forgotten horizons
Dreams are finally blossoming
Easter treats are tucked in my pockets
Fancy editions of my poems, are packed in the case
Giant airports and planes abound
Hot cross buns, and more chocolates are eaten
Inspiring my week’s holiday mood
Jet engines soaring aloft
Kidnapping me by default
Lawyers left floundering
My medical records lost in transit
Naughty nightingales, again covering for me
Opening my doorways, to the promised land
Passing high above the melody, at heaven’s archway
Quarantine played, Leonard’s Tower Of Song
Rumblings, I hear from a distant Bensalem yard
Spiritual chants, from my family circle
Telepathic messages, humming on a magic carpet ride
Unbroken my promise, now to be honoured
Vikings and villains to be avoided
Weapons disguised, under the statues torch of liberty
Xylophones I hear, playing on the streets of New York
Young ladies are dancing to my tune, Hallelujah
Zero-ground, salutes me there, staying upside down
Ivor Steven (c) May 2022
Hello dear readers and followers, as you may know, I now write for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem“My River Flows”, is in this weeks edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. … please click on the link below to read my poem, at Coffee House Writers >> https://coffeehousewriters.com/my-river-flows/
Ivor Steven (c) May 3rd 2022
My poem ‘Water-logged Boots, was published at FREE VERSE REVOLUTION, in November 2019, and thank you to the editor Kristiana for her kind consideration of my piece…
And today on Weekly Prompts the Weekend Challenge is: Boots . Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here . Appropriately in response to their prompt, I have reposted this poem from 3 years ago.
Yes, I am small in this overburdened world
But I flutter freely when unfurled
I could be a family picture collage
Or a tiny squirrel amongst the foliage
On his journey of ups and downs
Collecting and storing his acorns
The trick is to enjoy the ups
While the floodgates are shut
Sometimes I did nearly drown
Other times I floated upside down
During the many seasonal rains
I wondered if I would ever swim again
So then I pretended to write a biblical book
Ignorantly thinking no-one would ever look
Afterwards, I thought I could walk on water
Then my boots became water-logged
And if you need to walk a mile in my shoes
You will have to learn how to swim and sing the blues
Ivor Steven (c) March 2022
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 