




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 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”

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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 © 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
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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
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Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2025






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Home Away From Home
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On an island under the northern stars
Among the giant evergreen cedars
Within my personal astrodome
Feeling at ease in my home away from home
I am on top of the world
Uncurling my ancient bones, yet unfurled
Giving my weary soul another joyful whirl
In a land covered by forests and berries
Living a dream on an island with magical fairies
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Ivor Steven (c) September 2025
First day was a rest and recover one and get to meet my my cousins and their doggies




Furry cousins, Archie, Mungo, and Kelly, with cousin in law, Robin and his veggie garden.


The view from the veranda deck, where I am writing this article.
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Ivor Steven (c) August 2025