I feel honoured to have three pieces published in Lisa Tomey’s new Anthology, Social Justice Links. And congratulations to Lisa Tomey for this project. This is a raw and honest poetic view to the many aspects of social injustice in our world.

It takes courage to publish a book like this and I applaud Lisa Tomey for doing so! Congratulations Lisa and to all the writers/contributors!

My three poems in the Anthology are;
– A Hard Rain A’Gonna Fall on Polar Bears
– Burnt at the Cross
– That Nightly Sound
And the book is available for purchase via these Links
>> Lulu Link 
>> Amazon Link  

Social Justice Inks is about expression of social justice concerns and about working through these concerns, seeking answers is an ongoing process. We asked poets to offer their creative expressions about Social Justice and what they think about how to solve social problems in the world.

This collection is from poets around the world, offering their points of view about Social Justice. It has brought chill bumps to rise, blood to boil, hearts to beat, and hope to ring true.

It has often been said that awareness is the key from apathy to action. The writers offer such a strong awareness from so many perspectives. What will be interesting to hear is how the reader is affected and if the words stimulate change.

Last, we cannot express deeply enough the appreciation for all these talented individuals who have come together to establish a community for social awareness.

About the Artist & Cover Art
It has been a delight to work with Kay Payne as we developed a concept for the cover art. What I was looking for is something to show the positive spirit and power of nature. This evolved to the wreath of unity decorated with the spirit animals which came to mind. It is by no means exhaustive but was designed to show the power of the spirit. This comes from my personal belief that with unity we have strength and with strength and spirit we have power. May we always use that power to make positive changes in this world.

Kay Payne resides in Alabama with a paintbrush in one hand and a hammer in the other. She helps her beloved with his handyman work, while raising their blended family, full of love and sweet tea.

A Hard Rain A’Gonna Fall on Polar Bears



The foreigners have quietly landed

Wood from our trees has all been sanded

We’re a country without doors

Surrounded by golden shores

The openings are vast

The alien’s time is here at last

I cannot stop them, nor can you

If it be their will

Then, let it be

Join them, do not flee

We’ll all be hand in hand

To become the promised land

So let us be great again

Do not worry about the hard rain

Do not consider the faded sunlight

Forget about the rainstorm tonight

Who cares about Polar Bear’s with no ice?

World leaders say “Enjoy now, no matter the price”

Ivor Steven (c) May 2022