Published Poem – Page 3 – Ivor.Plumber/Poet

Throwback Friday, Quietly I Exist

Today’s Throwback Friday Poem appears in my revised edition of “Tullawalla”, July 2022, and was originally written as a travel log piece about my overseas journey to, America, Philadelphia, in May 2019.

Quietly I Exist

I’m writing words from the edge of time

And pondering my life’s lack of rhyme

Thinking every moment is an ironic crime

And quietly, I exist only in mime

Life is a mountain of ups and downs

Sharp thorns and slippery crowns

For me, every moment is a good day

Behind me, I leave yesterday

And today I’ll by-pass midday

On my way to bathing in tomorrow’s sun-rays

We are not here to control nature

But we are responsible for her future

I don’t think humans are meant to be

Poisoning the sea with plastic and mercury

I cannot be the king of this stagnant world

But I am free as my wings unfurled

My eyes have been opened again

To reveal the sky, sunshine and rain

Now I see beyond every yellow door

There was once an original world

So, I’ll turn the latch to discover more

And give realities of life a whirl

Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2025

“Who’s the Pilot”, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Who’s the Pilot” is in this week’s edition.
To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/whos-the-pilot/

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 © August 2025

Throwback Friday, Birds in Flight

A Welcome Swallow in flight

This morning on my walkie with Frankie, I was lucky enough to photograph a ‘Welcome Swallow’ in flight. So, appropriately, today’s Throwback Friday poem is “Birds in Flight”, written in February 2023. The poem also appears in my book, ‘Until Eyes Hear Sound’ (Chapter 1, page 14)

Birds in Flight

Our spirit birds sleep all night
Then emanate at first light
To resume their dedicated flights

Our watchtower sentinels of Mother Earth
Who sacredly ascend at first light
Forever in flight, since nature’s worldly birth

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 © August 2025

“Nature’s Ponds”, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Nature’s Ponds” is in this week’s edition.
To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/natures-ponds/

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 © August 2025

“I Hear Words”, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “I Hear Words” is in this week’s edition. …
Please Note: Today’s poem is one of my verses, composed of comments I posted on some of my fellow WordPress writers’ articles during the month. In stanza order, they are.
* Mark, >> NEVER BE HERE – Havoc and Consequence
* Nancy, >> https://theelephantstrunk.org/
* David, >> W/reck, or: W/reckless – The Skeptic’s Kaddish 🇮🇱
* Eugi, >> https://amanpan.com/2025/07/09/let-the-sunshine-in/
* Paul, >> The Way – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon | parallax

To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/i-hear-words/

Ivor Steven (c) July 2025

Throwback Friday, I Feel The Sky

Today’s Throwback Friday poem is from October 2021. The poem also appears in my third book, Until Eyes Hear Sound, Chapter 8, Poetry in Slow Motion.

I Feel the Sky

I am creating a verse from beyond my cage
Here, surrounded by the essence of a new age
Spring blossom floating on a sea of loose pages
Soaring on the wings of yesterday’s paper darts

I was finding words in unusual places
On dirty microwave plates
Under shaggy-pile carpets
Between last night’s lonely sheets
And walking down empty streets

Inside the Box Office Cafe, I sit
Observing the world below my feet
An old wooden floor of weathered planks
And table bases made from engine cranks

On the open verandah I can feel the sky
And I write on these blank lines
About today’s invisible freedom, before my ink runs dry

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

“Now Falls Into Then”, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Now Falls Into Then” is in this week’s edition. …
To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/now-falls-into-then/

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

“I Remember”, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “I Remember” (a Rondeau) is in this week’s edition. …
To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/i-remember/

A rondeau is a fixed-form poem that originated in French lyrical poetry. It typically consists of 15 lines, divided into three stanzas (a quintet, a quatrain, and a sestet), with a refrain and a specific rhyme scheme. Here’s a simple guide to help you craft one:
Structure of a Rondeau.

Lines: 15 lines in total.
Stanzas:
- First stanza: 5 lines (quintet)
- Second stanza: 4 lines (quatrain)
- Third stanza: 6 lines (sestet)
Refrain: The first few words or the opening phrase of the first line are repeated as the last line of the second and third stanzas.
Rhyme Scheme: AABBA AABR AABBAR (where “R” is the refrain).

Ivor Steven (c) July 2025

“Sorry”, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Sorry” (a Kyrielle) is in this week’s edition. …
To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/sorry/

A Kyrielle is a French form of rhyming poetry written in quatrains (a stanza consisting of 4 lines), and each quatrain contains a repeating line or phrase as a refrain (usually appearing as the last line of each stanza). Each line within the poem consists of only eight syllables. There is no limit to the number of stanzas a Kyrielle may have, but three is considered the accepted minimum.

Some popular rhyming schemes for a Kyrielle are: aabB, ccbB, ddbB, with B being the repeated line, or abaB, cbcB, dbdB.

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

A New Anthology (a Tanka)

Feature Image: Please note that my copy of the Geelong Writers Inc. Anthology 2024 was signed by the editor, Judy Rankin, and Judy is also the publisher/editor of my 3 books, Tullawalla, Perceptions, and Until Eyes Hear Sound.

A New Anthology (a Tanka)

Through rain, hail, or shine
I am the messenger bird
I’ve important news
About the Anthology
Don’t let the wires clip my wings

And here is my poem from the Geelong Writers Inc. Anthology

Ivor Steven (c) May 2025