My Easter Poem Lands In Mainz

A Throwback to “Easter, 2020”

My Easter poem “An Old Book Closes, a New Door Opens”, has grown wings, and landed in Germany (Mainz), via a website platform calledCulture-Y >> https://www.culture-y.com/das-format/

CULTURE-Y is an initiative of the Mainz band Hanne Kah. “Now, at a time when we face restrictions in everyday life, we feel all the more that cohesion is the most important formula for living together. Therefore, we decided to show all the wonderful actions and projects that impress and motivate across generations.”

“With this initiative, we want to offer a platform for everything that is created “out there” in Mainz and the world so that it can move into your living room.”

“Everything should be possible on our portal. We think across generations and will unconditionally show everything that seems important and right to us. We will not be able to guarantee that every image is produced in high gloss, that technology always plays along. It remains handmade and that’s a good thing. We can already assure you one thing: We believe in our platform and would be very happy if you would like to be part of our community.”

“Show us your creativity and send us your contributions. Let’s make CULTURE-Y great!..”







Ivor Steven (c)  Easter, April 2020

“Moonstruck at Midnight”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine.

Hello dear readers and followers, I am again writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “Moonstruck at Midnight”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the articleat Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/moonstruck-at-midnight/










Ivor Steven (c) March 2024

Five Short Poems

I am extremely proud and humbled by the acceptance of five of my poems by the amazing Susi Bocks, Editor-in-Chief at The Short of It! “Hot off the Press” and released for publication today!

Ivor Steven

PUBLISHED ON 

Kunj Parekh – Unsplash

New Light

Cascading sunshine
Falls into my cloudy eyes
Cold ponds feel new light

Further Down

From the Pandemic’s
Depressing downs
Into my Covid
Dressing gown

Finality

after we have consumed
the leftover wine
and desecrated the sundial’s shadow
the dark side of the moon
will finally recede from view

Co-existence

Beneath the trees and bushes
Lives an underground network
Prospering on giving and receiving

Our Time

Time waits for no one
Everyone passes in time
Time hears no commands

~~~

Ivor Steven, formerly an Industrial Chemist and then a Plumber, is now retired; he has been published in numerous anthologies and online magazines. He has two self-published books, Tullawalla and Perceptions. Ivor is an active member of the Geelong Writers Inc.(Australia) and an appointed writer for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA). He was first featured in 2022 and was nominated for the 2022 Pushcart Prize for his piece – The Sum is One. You can read his features and reblog by clicking HERE.

Untitled

If you’d like to be featured on The Short of It in the future,
click here for the submission guidelines.









Ivor Steven (c) March 8th 2024

 “The Dark Chasm”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine.

Hello dear readers and followers, I am again writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “The Dark Chasm”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the articleat Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>>https://coffeehousewriters.com/the-dark-chasm/







For, Coffee House Writers Magazine
By, Ivor Steven (c) March 2024

“Darkness”, is in this Week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine

Hello dear readers and followers, I am again writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “Darkness”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the articleat Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/darkness-2/

“For a friend who decided to leave us without saying goodbye”






Ivor Steven (c) February 2024

“That’s What Friends Are For”, Has Been Accepted for the “Cadence” Anthology


Today I received a lovely message from Lisa, Editor/Publisher at ‘Prolific Pulse Press’ >> https://www.prolificpulse.com/
Dear Ivor, I love the poem you just sent for Cadence and would love to publish it with the anthology. It truly put a smile on my face.


Of course, I cannot post the poem until after the Anthology has been published in March, but I can tell you that my delightful poem is about “Charlie the Caterpillar shuffling over the track to help his little friend, Billy the Bee







Ivor Steven (c) March 2024

Destiny and Shame Await. is in this Week’s Coffee Writers Magazine

Hello dear readers and followers, I am again writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “Destiny and Shame Await”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the articleat Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/destiny-and-shame-await/

Daniel Norgren’s video/song below inspired me to write these reflective words …

The Last Encore

I am standing on the diminishing foreshore
Staring at that missing ground floor
“Like there was a door”
Between here and the last encoreIvor





Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

“A Poet’s Grotto”, is up at Spillwords Magazine

I am ecstatic that my poem “A Poet’s Grotto”, has been accepted and published in Spillwords Magazine today, and I am very grateful to the editor, Dagmara for selecting my piece … Please go over and visit my poem at Spillwords and if you wish, leave a “💖” for my article, by clicking on this link >> A Poet’s grotto, poetry by Ivor Steven at Spillwords.com

Please Note: featured image above, supplied by Spillwords Press


A Poet’s Grotto

My writer’s studio, is the littered part of my bedroom
A paper tiger’s haven, has become a messy grotto
I am ruefully feeling muddled and befuddled
Pieces of paper and cardboard kites
Scatter the atmosphere like withered autumn leaves
Falling upon my untidy and cluttered archives

Scribbled words are yet to be decoded
Foolscap pages overwritten and eroded
Undefined and unlisted
Out of focus and twisted
Upside down and inside out
Uncategorised and full of self-doubt
My desk, once a dreamy picture postcard
Looks like a moonscape’s junkyard

My poetic writing quill has been the mythological ruler
Showing no regard for my bedroom’s demeanour
I am sleeping covered in my hurdy gurdy verses
It is time to cull the pretentious cosmic curses
Free myself of all unpublished jabberwocky
And let my imagination create a new poetic hard copy










Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

“The Unreachable Horizon”, is in this Week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine

Hello dear readers and followers, the Coffee House Writers Magazine had a 2 week break for the holiday season, but we are back, and I am again writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “The Unreachable Horizon”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the articleat Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> The Unreachable Horizon – Coffee House Writers



Music Video: Poets of the Fall, “Beyond The Horizon






Ivor Steven (c) January 2024

Throwback Friday, Zither (a Haiku)

Today’s Throwback poem was written when I was on a tour in China, and here we were in Beijing, at an ancient family home (500 years old) being entertained by the lady of the house playing traditional Chinese music on her antique Guzheng instrument.
“Zither”, was the winning Haiku in a Haiku competition run by Vita Brevis Poetry Magazine, in November 2018

Zither – Ivor Steven’s Winning Haiku – Vita Brevis Press.

Nov 2, 2018. Editor, Brian Geiger. For those of you who didn’t know, I hosted an October haiku contest a couple weeks ago. I’m happy to reveal our winner: Submitted by Ivor Steven. Zither 



Zither (a Haiku)


Chinese courtyard sounds

Guzheng music gently strums

Beijing alley hums







Ivor Steven (c) January 2024