Throwback Friday, Climbing A Rabbit Proof Fence, by Ivor Steven

My ‘Throwback Friday’ poem over at “Go Dog Go Cafe”

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I am re-posting my poem here from January 2019, at the request of my friend Kate, who is a loyal follower and supporter of my writings

Climbing A Rabbit ProofFence

Today has been one of those days

I’ve been out walking my relay

Listening to the sound of my shuffling feet

Scraping on cobblestones of the hot city street

A tiredness overcame my body

Searching for the famous Doctor Peabody

I think I collapsed under a wall

The Great Wall Of China

The Berlin Wall

Israel’s Palestinian barricade

The Iron Curtain

Trump’s Mexican wave

Australia’s Rabbit Proof Fence

And my next door neighbour’s big brick wall

I was bulldozed by them all

In a barrel, jumping off Niagara Falls

I’m an arctic sperm whale, beached at Bondi

And the angler at a dry Buckley’s Falls pond

I’m a spawning salmon with no rapids to swim

Today’s battle I lost, on…

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Perceptions

Introduction

This booklet is a collection of twenty collaborative articles. The photographs were taken by Derrick Knight, and the associated poems were written by Ivor Steven

The Photographer: Derrick Knight (New Forest, Southern England)

He is a septuagenarian who enjoys rambling physically and photographing what he sees, and rambling in his head as memories are triggered. He also rambles through a lifetime of his photographs.

The poet: Ivor Steven (Geelong, Australia)

He was formerly an Industrial Chemist, then a Plumber, now retired, and has been writing poetry for 20 years. He is on the committee of the Geelong Writers Inc.(Australia), a team member with the on-line magazine “Go Dog Go Cafe” (America), and also writer for “Coffee House Writers” magazine (America). 

As far as I can ascertain(??) from my poetry files, “The Faeries of Fry’s Lane” is the first poem I wrote in association with a Photograph/s taken by Derrick Knight from his wonderful blog/website … I have now compiled a PDF Booklet of all our twenty (I think) collaorations … If are you interested in receiving a free PDF copy of “Perceptions”, please contact me via this email >> IR.Steven@bigpond.com





The Faeries of Fry’s Lane


Walking down Fry’s Lane

Sheltering from the misty rain

I did spy among the hedgerow berries

A Frolic of mystical faeries

Like iridescent glowing canaries

A fluttering of night-time luminaries


Trying not to disturb their magical home

I quietly asked them, “Are you all alone”

The faeries laughed and danced

They replied, “Your vision is by perchance

and your dreams may turn to stone

if you wish for a golden throne”


Suddenly the glittering sands of time

Illuminating the faeries wings of rhyme

Begun jumping off the falling star

And the faeries quickly flew back to their green Avatar






Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

By Chance a Glance, While Christmas Shopping 

The Wednesday challenge, on Weekly Prompts is: CHRISTMAS SPIRIT Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking >> Here .. and the poem below is my response to their prompt


By Chance a Glance, While Christmas Shopping 


I saw her

We were crossing in opposite directions 

Then ironically 

We happened to end up at the same cafe


What do you say?

When you have forgotten her name 

How to begin?

Time has flown by

Since we last met


Oh well, here I go

Walking across the cafe

Towards her table 

She catches sight of me 

Her eyes happy in acknowledgment 

“Hello Janine”

Yes! I remembered that smile 


We gleefully grinned 

And chatted as good friends do

Neither of us could recall 

How many years it was 

But no matter 

We continued our jovial banter 





Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

Atlantis, is up at Spillwords Magazine

I am ecstatic to have my poem “Atlantis” published at Spillwords Magazine today, and I am very grateful to the editors at Spillwords for accepting my piece .. Pease go and visit my poem at Spillwords and if you wish, leave a ❤ for my article, by clicking on this link >> https://spillwords.com/atlantis/



Atlantis



Nature’s abundant history

Bounces forth in front of our eyes

The view is silently stunning

Nature’s assets keep running

Our hearts keep drumming

In tune with nature’s humming


Gently step into her ocean surf

For beneath the waves lays her sodden turf

The Atlantis carpet of ancestral bones

Remnants of ruined millennia covered in fallen moonstones

Nature’s guiding lodestones waiting to be atoned





Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

Stone Arches, High In The Sky

Image credit: Vrolans @ Pixabay

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #111 photo prompt


Stone Arches, High In The Sky


Sitting on this old cemetery bench

Judiciously carved from marble

I’m pondering like Rodin’s ‘Thinker’

Observing God’s arches high in the sky


Supported by tall Gothic columns

Laboriously sculptured stone

Dull shades of gray

Etched by heavy rain

Burnt under the drying sun

Shaped by the winds of time


Millennia cast in granite

History encrusted surfaces

Pillars of society, silently solidified

Witnesses of forgotten decades

Ancient pyramids overseeing cold graveyards

Decayed monuments to our lost souls


Immortality and finality achieved

Beyond the shadows of doubt

Their stoic presence

An eternal epitaph






Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

Promote Yourself Monday, December 6, 2021

Dear readers and followers, here’s a great opportunity for your writings to be read by other writers, and also to find and meet other writers. You are very welcome to participate, come along and visit our writer friendly site…..by clicking on the link at the bottom of this article >>
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Promote yourself Mon

Welcome toPromote Yourself Monday. All Go Dog Go Cafe community members are invited to postonelink to one specific piece of their writing (600 words or less please!) they have published on their blog, Facebook page, or Instagram feed into the comments section below.

If you post a link, be sure to read some of the other great writing people have linked to.

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A Sunday Dream

Featured Image Above: has been cropped from the photo below, which was taken by Derrick Knight, and again I sincerely thank Derrick for allowing me to reproduce his photos here, in conjunction with my poems. You may visit his fabulous site by clicking on this link
>> https://derrickjknight.com/






A Sunday Dream




did you hear the stars sing last night?

no

neither did I

did you see the sun cry at dawn?

no

neither did I

did you hear the bells ring this morning?

no

neither did I

did you feel the earth sigh today?

no

neither did I


there is you, I, and why

why cannot they see the sky?

why do they always lie?

why do they not cry?






Ivor Steven (c) December 2021

Now Recruiting: Baristas for the Go Dog Go Cafe

NOW RECRUITING: BARISTAS FOR THE GO DOG GO CAFE

Interested in being part of Go Dog Go Cafe?

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It is the mission of Go Dog Go Café to provide a warm, inviting, and inspiring gathering space in order to build a healthy and supportive writing community. We are committed to providing the Go Dog Go Community with a mix of weekly and special features that explore the writing life and writing from a diverse group of talented writers. To keep things fresh and dynamic at the GDG Cafe, we are currently recruiting new Baristas.

Barista Responsibilities:

  • Submission of a minimum of 2 to 3 pieces (poetry, prose, writing prompt, book reviews, writer interviews, essays about writing, and/or short fiction) of original writing a month
  • Commitment to actively participate in the Go Dog Go Community by visiting often, reading and commenting on posts and showing support for patrons and your fellow Baristas
  • Follow Go Dog Go on other social media platforms that you use (such as Facebook and Twitter)…

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Throwback Friday, Sleeplessness, by Ivor Steven

My ‘Throwback Friday’ poem over at “Go Dog Go Cafe”

ivor20's avatarGo Dog Go Café

Last week I posted a poem from three years ago when I was hospitalised for three months, and ironically, or coincidently I happened to be hospitalised this week, but fortunately my stay was only brief this time, so, appropropriately today I am posting this piece from three years ago .

Sleeplessness

I’m consumed by tiredness

In this healing castle of sleeplessness

Where the nightingales flitty about

Like hummingbirds in a drought

The witch-doctors come and go

With their underlings following to and fro

During the day there’s noisiness and bright lights

And life is just the same throughout the night

Ivor Steven (c) December 2018

G’day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I’m an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those…

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