The Good, The Bad & The Poetry, by Joshua Maxwell de Hoog

Please note, that in the poem below , the words are not mine, but those of, ‘Joshua Maxwell de Hoog’, who has kindly given me permission to reproduce this excerpt from his book “The Good, The Bad & The Poetry”. Joshua is the convener, of the ‘lowercase poetry’ recital events here in Geelong. I’m honoured to be able to present his words on my site, and this piece below, is an excellent example of the style of his writings. For more information and stories about Joshua you may Google his link >>  joshuamaxwell de hoog.com

*

There is no word greater than another,

 

No word that only sleeps with the

king or is only spoken by the servant,

Or written on walls in the city by

rebellious teens

 

There is no word that fights in a war

with only fists,

 

Or sails the sea for love, or with love,

There is no word greater than the

mouth that speaks it.

 

There is no word more beautiful than

another,

 

There is no word that is paid to be

listened to, nor begs for attention, or

only cries, or only sleeps, or cries

itself to sleep.

 

There is no word more beautiful than

the mouth that speaks it.

 

There are merely words, and every

one of them as important as both the

next and the last, as pressing as

future, present and past, as human as

you, me or us.

 

And we too,

Are like words,

Sometimes we are together and seem

as if we’ve always been,

As inseparable as to-do or have-been

joined by the dash,

But other times we are distant, we

appear only in the beginning or the

end, or something in between, but

that means no less of us, for we are

still a part of the story, as essential as

any word that has already been

written or the ones that are still in

writing.

 

There is no word that goes unspoken,

that needs to be.

 

All things will happen in time, and to

force them, is to skip the most exciting

chapter.

There is no word that runs faster than

another, none that overtake or jump

the queue, all words honour the mind

in which they are from.

 

There is no word greater than another,

yet I will follow “you”.

*

*  Printed with permission from, Joshua Maxwell de Hoog…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

Melody & Poetry

Here’s a poem I’ve written for ‘Go Dog Go Cafe’s’,  Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge. Today’s prompt: Write a story or poem that ends with the phrase “he shredded her dreams in dignified air of victory”

Friday evening I attended my first ever Melody and Poetry event at the Analogue Academy & Gallery. The new and interesting night developed into thoroughly enjoyable show, for both the musicians and poets. The poem I recited was “Lost On The River” , here’s the link >> https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2019/06/30/lost-on-the-river/

Melody and Poetry

 

The Gallery’s been darkened

And the room’s illuminated by faerie lights

The Melody and Poetry event begins

On stage, there’s a piano player and guitarist

Improvising their music, to each poet’s readings

And the enthusiastic crowd sings along

To the sheets of printed words

And the poet’s recital is resonating vividly

As he shredded her dreams

In a dignified air of victory

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

A Red Bouquet

 

A Red Bouquet

 

The dawn sky’s a misty red

Mirroring my eyes, etched edges of red

T’was my dad’s anniversary yesterday

And I didn’t go to visit her, during the day

She adored dad, my darling redhead

So best I vacate this lonely bed

And select her some blooms from my flowerbed

 

My courtyard’s a sea of dazzling reds

A vivacious Begonia, called a Dragon Wing Red

Our gifted Geranium, glows a deep ruby red

And dad’s Day Lily, is a glossy red

I’ll create a bright red bouquet from the three

And place the flowers in our vase under her tree

 

 

Ivor Steven (c) Feb 2020

Tullawalla #15

Tullawalla, Nineteen Steps

Hello dear readers and followers, I’ve been away from blogging for three days, because again, I’ve been arduously  preparing and typing, to produce my Fifteenth Tullawalla Poetry Booklet….. For new readers that don’t know about these booklets, they are basically the reason why I write poetry. I produce the booklets for the sole purpose of raising funds for my favourite charity organization, the MS Society, in Australia via the MS Charity Shop here in Geelong. And actually all money’s I receive for any of my poetry submissions, I also donate to the MS Society. Fantastic news this week, with a few more donations coming in lately, I’m proud to announce, that the sale of my “Tullawalla Booklets”, has now gone well pass $1000. 00, …  to all the lovely readers, who have donated, to help achieve such a wonderful amount,  a big heartfelt thank you from “us” and the MS Society … …..Amazingly, there is now a total of  “613 poems”, in my collection of 15 Tullawalla Booklets. Anyhow the booklet is finally completed, and ready for sale now.. !!  As always, they are available for purchase, either as a hard copy or a PDF format….. All proceeds go to the MS Charity Shop, here in Geelong West….. Please contact me here through my web site page and I can chat about arrangements from there…. Oh, the booklet is called “Tullawalla:  “Nineteen Step”, and coincidently, this, the feature poem from  my the booklet was published by FREE VERSE REVOLUTION, on Friday, 8th, February… You can visit their fabulous magazine today!! Please click on this link >>    https://freeverserevolution.wordpress.com/                …. And here is the link to my website >> ivors20.wordpress.com

img530

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020

Promote Yourself Monday, February 10, 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…..

braveandrecklessblog's avatarGo Dog Go Café

Promote yourself Mon

Welcome to Promote Yourself Monday.  All Go Dog Go Cafe community members are invited to post one link 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.

View original post

Throwback Friday, A Tattooed Blond, By Ivor Steven.

Another one of those dreams,

ivor20's avatarGo Dog Go Café

ade1baef3b36e85ba6936449883a6602

A Tattooed Blond

I’m neither here nor there

Half asleep nor half awake

Not quite conscious

Like a drifting snowflake

Sinking through a prism

Where I fantasize and over-achieve

Seeing a blond-haired vixen

Thinking I’ve seen her tatt’s before

I’m retreating, hiding

From her beckoning embraces

My drunken mates at the bar

Giggling and smirking, as if I can’t see

Between, there’s a tattered curtain

A pale veil, shadows lurking

A vision surreal, of blue, red and black

Like a fiery chasm

The blond’s tattoos, twitch and spasm

Chasing my body into the surf

Waves crashing over, and around

A bubbling sensation, wildly scary

I sprawl atop the tattoos in the sand

And I wonder what to do

With her bloodied tattooed hand

Wishing I could escape from here or there

I suddenly awaken, and burst into tears

Recognising my weakest fears

Featured Image:  Bing Images, Pineterest

Ivor Steven (c) …

View original post 109 more words

Faeries Calming the Soul

Faeries Calming The Soul

 

Today’s cool breeze, has dried my eyes

And I’m comfy, under this shady palm

Watching, sparkling faerie ripples on the bay

And silvery clouds waving to me from the sky

I see faerie footprints upon ageless sand

And the town’s daily ferry-boat sails by

I’m bathing in this day’s caressing faerie balm

And my fragile soul’s reciprocating the calm

 

 

Ivor Steven (c) Feb 2020

My Bird Feeder

This week’s midweek challenge on ‘Weekly Prompts’ is: BIRD FEEDERS.  Please go and visit the fabulous “Weekly Prompts” site by clicking >> Here  

I don’t own a bird feeder as such, but I suppose my verandah roof acts as my permanent bird feeder.  Seeds from my neighbours trees seem to naturally end up landing on my verandah roof. The birds can be quite noisy feathered friends, as they clatter around on my verandah. … but while they are busily chomping seeds on my roof, the birds are forgetting to feast on my ripe ‘Rapunzel Cherry Tomatoe’ bush, and some of my readers, might remember what happens to those who steal from ‘Tomatoe Bush’, for a reminder, you can peruse at this link to that post >> https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/how-many-books-do-i-take-on-the-cruise/ …….”BEWARE”…….

Featured Image Above: My verandah roofer, the birds feeding area…!!

Below: My 9ft tall Rapunzel Cherry Tomatoe Bush, higher than the guttering.

 

Below Left: The cherry tomatoe crop              Right: Tomatoes in my Asian salad

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Feb 2020