Ivor.Plumber/Poet

A Year Out Of Tune

Two thousand and twenty

Dramatic events a plenty

Firstly the worst bush-fires for a century

When Mother-nature became the enemy

Then a foreign virus exploded

And Earth’s atmosphere corroded

Our lives turned cloudy and uncrowded

Covid even bloated and reloaded

No country was immune

And the World spun all out of tune

Here in Aussie-land normality returns for Christmas

And here’s cheers to next years unfinished business

Cheers

Ivor ((Hugs & Kisses))

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020

The featured image above, is my photo of a painting by Graeme Altman, titled ‘Hopeful-return’, while on display at the Boom Gallery in Geelong, during September 2018.

A Fish Out Of Water

I am not immortal

nor am I immune

I am a speck of rust

slowly fading into dust

I cannot walk on water

nor do I swim like an otter

I am a stoic starfish

motionless and sun blemished

I cannot soar beyond the sky

nor can I float like a butterfly

I am a flightless lyrebird

raucous and eternally seeking the word

Ivor Steven (c) December

Carnival Of Rust, Lyrics by, Poets Of The Fall

Today for something a bit different, I’m introducing one of my favourite Bands, a group called ‘Poets Of The Fall’.. Poets of the Fall (POTF) is a Finnish rock band from Helsinki. The group consists of Marko Saaresto (lead vocals), Olli Tukiainen (lead guitar), Markus “Captain” Kaarlonen (keyboards, production), Jani Snellman (bass), Jaska Mäkinen (rhythm guitar), and Jari Salminen (drums, percussion). The music/video below, actually debuted tonight, and I had my YouTube timer set up to receive this video as it was being debuted… The song is remix/version of their number ‘1’ hit tune from 2006. I hope you enjoy, Poets of the Fall feat. Triosis+ – Carnival of Rust (Alexander Theatre Sessions / Episode 12)

Premiered 1 minute ago

Lyrics. “Carnival Of Rust”

D’ you breathe the name of your saviour in your hour of need
And taste the blame if the flavor should remind you of greed?
Of implication, insinuation and ill will, ’til you cannot lie still
In all this turmoil, before red cape and foil come closing in for a kill

Come feed the rain
‘Cause I’m thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah, feed the rain
‘Cause without your love my life ain’t nothing but this carnival of rust

It’s all a game, avoiding failure, when true colors will bleed
All in the name of misbehavior and the things we don’t need
I lust for after no disaster can touch, touch us anymore
And more than ever, I hope to never fall, where enough is not the same it was before

Come feed the rain…
‘Cause I’m thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah, feed the rain
‘Cause without your love my life ain’t nothing but this carnival of rust
Yeah, feed the rain
‘Cause I’m thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah, feed the rain
‘Cause without your love my life ain’t nothing but this carnival of rust

Don’t walk away, don’t walk away, oh, when the world is burning
Don’t walk away, don’t walk away, oh, when the heart is yearning
Don’t walk away, don’t walk away, oh, when the world is burning
Don’t walk away, don’t walk away, oh, when the heart is yearning

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020

I’m Radioactive

I’m Radioactive

Life is a waiting game

Between scans and closing door frames

I am waiting for a nuclear cardio stress test

And X-rays of my radioactive chest

The numbing sensation is surreal

Inside a buzzing tunnel I am sealed

Where magnetic photos are taken

And I am waiting, feeling forsaken

“Damn.” The negatives were not clear enough

I wait another hour for the next shot of dyestuff

Back behind those closing door frames

Life’s finality is a waiting game

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020

Sorry! We Caught The Wrong Bus

I was catching a bus home this afternoon, as per normal, after my walk down Pakington St. However, mistakenly I caught the wrong bus !! I looked up, and I did not see the sign. In the long process of hopping on a couple of different buses, I eventually found my way home. During my time of the extra bus trips, I came up with the words of this poem.

Sorry! We Caught The Wrong Bus

Is this the air I breathe?

A misty haze out in front of me

Is this the sky I see?

A big smoggy Vee

High in the mountain plains, flowerless, without bees

Miles of burnt-out wasteland and no trees

Beyond the eroded soils, there’s the earth’s oceans

Mercury settled deep, with a topping of dead fish by the millions

Is this black bitumen I walk on?

Long oily tar rolled out by the ton

Is this real water I drink?

Manufactured I sip. On my knees I do sink!

Mother nature. “Please forgive us!”

We did not know. “Sorry! We caught the wrong bus.”

Today’s poem is in response to Weekly Prompts, and their Wednesday Challenge, which is: Bus Riding! Please go over and visit their fabulous site by clicking > Here.

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020

A Heartless Bastard

I’m watching the crowd strolling by

Masks are casually dangling like schoolboy ties

And now I see everyone’s smiling faces

Winners are grinners and free to go places

We endured lonely lockdowns and restriction dangers

Then successfully obeyed the rules of our Lone-Rangers

And bravely negotiated the low tides of dark seas

Today community happiness bows and greets me

The Covid bastard is drowning in our summer breeze

And together we have beaten a heartless disease

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020.

Heartless Bastards. Lyrics
“Skin And Bone”

Spent my time here as a child,
And now I’m passing through here and it’s all coming back again.
Dilapidated buildings down on Main.
This small town was crumbling down, it was hard for me to stay.

And, oh, I, I find after all this time,
I am back here filled with all these memories.
Bittersweet, my home skin and bone.
This rust has worn through tearing up beneath the seams.

Driving down Salem Avenue.
It’s all so familiar now, but so many things have changed.
And the rain came down all around.
Washed away the industry, washed it to the sea.

And, oh, I, I find after all this time,
I am back here filled with all these memories.
Bittersweet, my home skin and bone.
This rust has worn through tearing up beneath the seams.
And, oh, I want it to be like when I was young.
Oh, I want it to be like when I was young.

Ooh, ooh, ooh.

Hazelnut & Cranberry Meringue Cake

I am needing the solace of my courtyard

When will life’s tasks become too hard

Am I finally to be considered too old

Despite my partial return from the cold

I am not to worry nor feel sorry

The winding road home is in no hurry

And I detour off my rocky path

To rewrite my wordless epitaph

Here in the comfort of my favourite Cafe

With a sweet cake and a soothing coffee

And enjoy a chat with the friendly waitress Alex

Then I recite this poem, she smiles, and we both relax

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020

Yesterday’s Storms

I wrote this poem after reading Ali Grimshaw’s post/poem this morning, and as I sometimes do, I commented on her piece with a poetic anecdote. You can view Ali’s site and poem via clicking on this link >> https://flashlightbatteries.blog/2020/12/05/weather-forecast-poem-by-ali-grimshaw/

Yesterday’s Storms

today words fell off the weatherman’s chart

some misty clouds with rainbow arcs

there will be windy circles and sunny parts

dotted isobars will blow over old landmarks

bringing bold fronts and false starts

with possible heavy rain and lightning darts

and yesterday’s storms were pieces of dark art

that passed through our hearts

Ivor Steven (c) December 2020

Promote Yourself Monday, December 7, 2020

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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Go 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.