







The Fantail and the Magpie (a Tanka)
The flighty fantail
Asks the majestic magpie
“Who is the swiftest
Between the moon and the sun?”
“Yes, you! But I soar higher”
Ivor Steven (c) October 2025








The Fantail and the Magpie (a Tanka)
The flighty fantail
Asks the majestic magpie
“Who is the swiftest
Between the moon and the sun?”
“Yes, you! But I soar higher”
Ivor Steven (c) October 2025






“A gentle landing after an adventurous voyage—my Itmims returns from Canada.”
Dream On
From above and beyond the clouds,
I eventually floated down to the ground,
Softly landing among the bemused crowd —
They were both startled and spellbound.
That my ancient Itmims* spacecraft
Had negotiated the vast Pacific Ocean,
Like ‘Thor Heyerdahl‘s Kon Tiki’ raft…
Despite the wilderness’s rocky passage,
And my damaged undercarriage.
* Itmims; Ivor’s Time Machine In Micro Space

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Until Eyes Hear Sound
Lulu Books >> Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)

Perceptions:
Amazon >> Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >> Perceptions (lulu.com)

Tullawalla:
Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books
OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com
Ivor Steven © September 2025





The Dragonfly and the Wattlebird (a Tanka)
The dragonfly asks
“Am I the king of the sky?”
The wattlebird says
“You are only a small fry
And you’ll fly below my wings”
Ivor Steven (c) September 2025



The Spider and the Hummingbird (a Tanka)
The spider declares
“Please do not listen to me”
The wee bird responds
“You must keep spinning your web,
And I shall hum for more light”

.

Until Eyes Hear Sound
Lulu Books >> Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)

Perceptions:
Amazon >> Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >> Perceptions (lulu.com)

Tullawalla:
Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books
OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com
Ivor Steven © 2025
Today’s Throwback Friday Poem is another poem from my book “Tullawalla”, which I originally wrote in September 2019
A Chalice of Champagne (Tullawalla, page 103)
Once upon a time
In the days of rhyme
When learning to climb
I saw my neon sign
Slowly die by design
An angel’s teardrop fell
Ringing the church bell
And missing my empty well
From the tower of song, I wanted to yell
But life does not let you dwell
Despite the annual September rain
I trekked over flooded plains
Avoiding delta swamps of pain
Scaling the same old mountain again
Searching for our chalice of champagne
Ivor Steven (c) September 2025
Featured Image Above: Kalanchoe delagoensis, commonly known as Mother of Thousands, Chandelier Plant.








Ring the Bells
The paternal magpies are singing
The garden bells are ringing
Spring is playfully emerging
The wattle trees are flowering
The meadow grasses are growing
But, Theo the tomatoe is struggling
Ivor Steven (c) September 2025






Standing on Familiar Ground
Here
Standing on the land of old
Overlooking a meadow of green and gold
Where
Familiar magpies fly around
Above their native ground
Now
Feeling my travel, weary bones unfold
Upon my home’s welcoming threshold
Ivor Steven (c) September 2025
✈️🕰️ Jet lag defeated, regeneration complete. Meet Dr Ivor, freshly restored and ready to roam the cosmos—with Frankie by his side and ‘Itmims’ humming in orbit.





Dr Ivor, My Regeneration
On the fourth day of slumber, down under,
my regeneration did finally materialise.
Every cell in my body has been restored.
Replaced with a new, healthy cell.
Presumably, my DNA has changed as well
The only thing that hasn’t changed
is my quintessential core-
that is me, Ivor the time traveler,
in my rusty spacecraft, Itmims, **
with my trusty companion, Frankie
** Itmims – Ivor’s Time Machine In Micro Space
Ivor Steven (c) September 2025



Home sweet home for Frankie
Ivor Steven (c) September 2025






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Between Today’s Isobars
.
Silently the bell rings
Quietly the birds sing
Secretly I hear the forest hum
Discretely I count up the sum
The number of stars
Between today’s isobars
And out beyond Mars
.
.
Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2025