Eerie Sky, Teasing Rain

The midweek word/photo challenge is; Family Albums. My article and poem isn’t really about a family album, but these are the photos I took today, depicting the eeriness of our smokey and rainy sky…. Please go and visit the Weekly Prompts site by clicking>> HERE

Above Feature Image: I’m standing in light rain, at the end of my lane, but the sky is still a smokey haze, which is very eerie…..

Left. The smokey sky and sun at end of my lane. Right. The thunderstorm this afternoon

Left. A smokey beach in the morning Right. Looking straight at the sun on the beach

Eerie Sky, Teasing Rain

The eeriness is hard to explain

Our sky is smokey again

But here I stand in the rain

At the end of my dusty lane

Smelling the stench of our fiery haze

Now mixed with the aroma of wet maize

I’m stunned, and unearthly amazed

And Thor’s neon lights add to my daze

This summer storm is yet to fully expound

Tiny drops are struggling to cover the ground

The day’s hot, but our sun cannot be found

And this afternoon’s darkness leaves me spellbound

Footnote: As I’m about to post this article, we are having some heavy rain and there is more forecast for next Monday…. At last the sky is crying over the fires of South-Eastern Australia, hopefully enough to give our firefighters some much needed respite… Yeah.

Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020

Pain and Renewal, A Poetry Anthology, Edited by Brian Geiger, of the Vita Brevis Magazine. An Article by Ivor Steven

To the Vita Brevis Poetry Magazine and Brian Geiger(Editor), I thank you for including my poem, and I am honoured to appear among so many accomplished writers.

Ranked #1 Best Selling New Poetry Anthology

#1 Bestselling New Poetry Anthology, Pain & Renewal features a collection of incredible voices — from Pulitzer & Pushcart prize winners to brand new poets, it’s filled with moving poetry about the highs and lows of the human experience. From love and loss to death and redemption — and beyond.”There are as many forms of pain as there are paths to renewal, and I can think of no better way to explore this than through collected stories of people from around the world. In the same way the broader themes of a good book are not conveyed in one line but through many small and dispersed instances, the broader truths of pain and renewal bare their patterns when the struggles and victories of the individual are placed alongside those of the many. Read from cover to cover, I believe many of these patterns can be found in this anthology.” – Brian Geiger (Editor)

You can get the digital version here, if you want to read it on your computer, phone, tablet, or Kindle device.

And you can get the print version here, if you’re the bookish type.

Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020

Anthology: Faery Footprints

Faery Footprints

A Multiple Author Anthology by Fae Corps Publishing

BY: Phillip Scott, Pallavi, Pali Raj, Nk, Nikki Marrone, Nicholas J Grinder, Molly Hogan, Megha Sood, Linda Crate, Ivor Steven, Gary S Rosin, Eugenia Hoffman, Dancing Heart Designs, Andrew McDowell, Cynthia Pilcher, Michael J, Walters, Deedra Nichole, Patricia Harris, Serena Mossgraves

Poetry published in the anthology “Faery Footprints” by the Fae Corps Publishing

I’m very proud to see five of my poems, being published in the pages of the anthology curated by Patricia Harris and Cindy Pilcher of the Fae Corps Publishing Press.

Faery Footprints is an anthology of indie artists, poets, and authors meant to show off the talent inherent in the Indie Community.

For readers who would like purchase a copy, please click on link below …

– www.books2read.com/faeryfootprints

Smoke, And Happy Tears Today

Below, as per usual with my posts, I have an attached video/music for your enjoyment, however today this video is very special , and I would sincerely like to thank, Stephanie Stickel, for allowing me use this wonderful video, of her drawing, with the music of Thomas Peter-Horas(Sarah), and played by Chen on piano .

Feature Image above: The photo I received today; my niece Kerri, and my grand-niece Kylie(My Philadelphia faeries), there smiles make me smile xx

Below Images: The smokey haze outside my front door today, 500 yards away at the end of my lane.

Smoke, And Happy Tears Today

Again, I’ve smokey tears in my eyes

But today they’re not, from those terrible fires

I’ve just received a photo, via magical digital wires

From the girl of my promised forever bond

And who lives on my soul’s golden pond

She’s knowingly smiling, at my heart’s open streams

Graciously enjoying all of life’s hard regimes

And handling her body’s constant extremes

Never does she falter, from her declared theme

“Don’t Let the World Bring You Down”

She’ll always be my jewel of renown

A ray of inspiring hope, in that distant sky

My dearest really real faery, flying so high

Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020

Promote Yourself Monday, January 13, 2020

Please come join me and multitudes of other writers here on Go Dog Go Cafe’s, “Promote Yourself Monday”

Go Dog Go Café

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.

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Cry Me A River

Cry me a fair-tale

A fable that’s true

If I place steel pails

Under your sails

Could you please

Rain on our arid ship

Fill all the buckets

And douse the fires

Cry me a storm

And fill our fragile souls

With watery glee

Cry me a river

And fill our hearts

With liquid joy

Ivor Steven (c) Jan 2020

Follow By Two

This weekend the Word/Photo Challenge is: ‘The Street.’ And above is a photo of an Australian bush “Street”, and of course we are hoping that the raging bushfires will stop soon… The featured photo above, is copy from the 2020 Geelong Calendar, taken by Judith Wood, of a street in the country town of Anakie.. To visit the fabulous site of Word/photo Challenge, please click >> Here

This is a poem I wrote three years, from a time when I was suffering from one of my neuralgia attacks…Then, I thought it was nearly the end….. but in the end it couldn’t happen….. there was too much love surrounding me…..

Follow By Two

One Day Follows

The abyss is bigger, not less.

On these days of darkness.

The owls are singing sad tunes.

On these days of bad moons.

The brain is harpooned again

On these days of constant pain.

The sunshine has gone, I confess.

On these days of over stress.

The mind has little attitude.

On these days of sleepy solitude.

An Answer Follows

You’ve all walked into my heart.

And you’ve ran into my past.

You’ve all flooded into my soul.

And you’ve soared into my dreams.

I crave for that….. one day soon.

Tomorrow, or another day too.

That all your hearts.

Will be bathing themselves,

In the soothing oils

Of your glorious Souls.

I’d like to thank my dear friends Mel and Jane, for being the inspiration behind the words of “An Answer Follows”.

Ivor Steven.

Torn Dust In My Lungs

Last night I attended the lowercase’s monthly poetry recital event. The theme was “On The Bus”, and here’s a link to the poem I read out >>https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/sorry-we-caught-the-wrong-bus/ . After the show, as is usual for me, I ventured across the road, to Pistol Pete’s Blues bar, for my dose of live music. And wow, what a fabulous band happened to be performing. From Germany, “Hanne Kah”, and I’ve attached two songs of their’s below. As you might know, Ivor likes to have a chat, and Hanne and her band were a very friendly crew, and were happy to have some photos taken with me….. Oh, what a treat for me, and of course I gave them my poetry card, and bought a CD and T-shirt…… Then I stumbled home, and drafted this poem, which I finished this morning…… It’s probably a bit jumbled, but I say to myself…so-be-it….

Torn Dust In My Lungs

Late in the afternoon, the moon is rising

Not the normal moon, silver and shining

But a colour of yellow mustard custard icing

Through the evenings smokey maze, dimly glowing

These foolish fires, have been merciless

They’ve torn apart our virgin land

Dusty embers in the sky, leftover evidence

Torn from what was once beautiful and pristine

Hanne Kah’s CD “Y”, and you’ll find them at this Link >> https://www.facebook.com/hannekahband/