Throwback Friday, My Door’s Firmly Shut, by Ivor Steven

“The reblog link for my ‘Go Dog Go Cafe’ post didn’t work today, so here is a copy”
Today I am presenting a poem from August 2017, just 2 months after I began blogging on WordPress ..

My Door’s Firmly Shut

Early Friday morning

At my desk

Writing in pencil

The inks frozen

No joke

Send the firewood

Light up my heart

With warm soulful words

Give my fingers a start

Knuckles are throbbing

An arthritic chill

My dog’s coughing

Poor little Lily

She feels it too

Ah, not to worry

A wry smile

A sunray

Shining through

Thawing my quill

Freeing my will





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

Issue II: 7 days left!

There is still time to enter your submissions..

Kristiana's avatarFree Verse Revolution:

Issue II: hermes (the kaleidoscope)

We are looking especially for photography, visual art / visual poetry and prose pieces.

In the Olympian Pantheon, Hermes is perhaps one of the most multi-faceted gods. He has been linked to guiding those of have died into the underworld, he is the messenger god, he is linked to trickery, mischief and theft, as well as being the god of shepherds and boundaries. And so, he poses a wide array of themes and subjects to explore.

This led to imagining a kaleidoscope. The ever-shifting and changing colours, shapes and patterns. I expect Issue II to be eclectic – celebrating the surreal, the abstract and illusory. I encourage you to reach beyond your comfort zone and use the idea of ‘hermes’ to inspire your work.

As always, interpret the theme as you wish. We accept poetry, prose, photography, creative non-fiction and visual art. Submissions are now…

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No Bouquets

Written in response to Sadje‘s What do You See #81 photo prompt.

Image credit: Victoria Strukovskaya @ Unsplash
The image shows a closed wooden gate with the number 28.5 written on it with chalk. The gate is surrounded by thick green creepers.

No Bouquets


The twenty eighth of May

The final day to escape Bombay

Leave behind the encroaching Doomsday

Breakaway the padlocked doorways

And seek unknown purified airways


Time to invest wisely in tomorrow’s causeway

Time to invent a new realistic screenplay

That includes the universe’s cabaret

And comprehends mother nature’s ways





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

Promote Yourself Monday, May 10, 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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Leona's avatarGo Dog Go Café

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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My Women

Today is my mother’s birthday, and tomorrow is mothersday, and also it was Carole’s funeral day … Here is my tribute to those 2 magnificent women in my life…

My Women


After I had left the hem

Without women

I could not have survived my time

I would not have braved the climb

Ladies you are my rhyme

My mothers of thyme


Helping me roll away the stone

Maintaining these old bones

Repairing the bridges, I have burnt

Reciting the messages, I have learnt

Cheering from the sidelines

Supporting my broken designs

Women of my rhymes

Mothers for a lifetime





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

Seeds of Survival

Life is a journey of discovery

An ordained roller coaster ride

Of tall crests and deep valleys

And if we knew what our voyage would be

We would not venture beyond the cabin door

And sail the world’s unpredictable oceans

Those stormy swallowing vortexes

Of tall tsunami’s and deep ravines


But our passage of life is accepted

Even though our destiny is unknown and unexpected

Nevertheless we persevere and regenerate

For we are the universe’s eternal seeds

The seeds that continue to fly

The seeds that spiritually survive





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021