.
Adjustable
.
I have sailed far away
Higher than the calm of Corio Bay
And here I shall stay
In my welcoming chalet
Ably adjusted in every way
Come what may
Until my journey’s closing essay
Unfolds through a Canadian mandala
.
.
Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2025
Bison on the Prairie at Wainwright
Canadian Army Base, Wainwright
Wainwright Pump Jack
The iconic “Trestle”, straddles the “Battle River”
Barbecue dinner, overlooking “Lake Clear”
.
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Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2025
Today’s Throwback Friday Poem appears in my revised edition of “Tullawalla”, July 2022, and was originally written as a travel log piece about my overseas journey to, America, Philadelphia, in May 2019.
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Quietly I Exist
.
I’m writing words from the edge of time
And pondering my life’s lack of rhyme
Thinking every moment is an ironic crime
And quietly, I exist only in mime
.
Life is a mountain of ups and downs
Sharp thorns and slippery crowns
For me, every moment is a good day
Behind me, I leave yesterday
And today I’ll by-pass midday
On my way to bathing in tomorrow’s sun-rays
.
We are not here to control nature
But we are responsible for her future
I don’t think humans are meant to be
Poisoning the sea with plastic and mercury
.
I cannot be the king of this stagnant world
But I am free as my wings unfurled
My eyes have been opened again
To reveal the sky, sunshine and rain
.
Now I see beyond every yellow door
There was once an original world
So, I’ll turn the latch to discover more
And give realities of life a whirl
.
.
.
Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2025
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Fallen Ancestors
.
Above
I saw time drift across the sky
Below
I heard a grey waterlogged tree cry
“Is this the graveyard where my
fallen ancestors have been left to die”
There
“Against the sea wall’s merciless granite crown
surrounded by cold water crashing around
Please
“Take my hand, guide me down
so I can cover them with my green nightgown
.
.
Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2025
Featured Image: Ivor in front of the iconic Hatley Castle (1908)
Cousin Penny and her husband Dave
Pea Hen and a duck on the pond
Above and below images are from the rose garden
The fernery garden
The Japanese garden and pond
Above; The Italian garden area
.
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Ivor Steven (c) Sept 2nd 2025
Today’s Throwback Friday poem is an odd collection of anecdotes from my hospital bed, written in December 2018. After I had just suffered a ‘minor’ stroke, and these were the jumbled thoughts that were tumbling out of my tired and confused mind …
Odds and Sods, Spots and Blots
Lazy Bones
Cordless phones
Garden gnomes
Overhead drones
Windowless homes
Creaks and moans
Lazy bones
Pain
Pain is like the rain
It comes and goes
Heavy and light
A Lie
It’s a lie that I don’t cry
It’s a lie that I passed you by
It’s a lie that I never tried
It’s a lie that I’ll never die
Mirror
Mirror, mirror, on the wall
You showed me how to stand tall
Again, it’s time for your call
Judge
I’m neither a judge
Nor a dealer in sludge
I’d rather eat some fudge
And give my side of life a nudge
Even Though
Love is all above thee
Love is a blanket of autumn leaves
Love showers us with glee
Love is everywhere, to feel and see
Ivor Stven May 2025
Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Dusty Photos” is in this week’s edition. …
To read the poem, please click the link below to visit my Coffee House Writers Magazine article.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/dusty-photos/
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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 © May 2025
Thirteen years ago today, it was the “Time” that I made a “heart-stopping decision”
Did Your Heart Stop Too?
Did you cry too?
When the doctors told you
She was not going to recover
Did they ask you too?
About what you already knew
It was time
To flick the switch
And dim her light
Did your heart stop, too?
Knowing
You had emptied her shoes
Did you sleep there too?
During those infinite days of blue
Softly holding her hand
And not letting go
Did you weep too?
Blankly alone
In her full room
Waiting
For her last silent breath
.
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 © April 2025
Today’s Throwback Friday poem is from July 2021.
Beyond Dark, There is Light (Revised)
Looking back
What do you see?
Tall mountains and a dark sky that surround me
Looking back
What do you see?
Bottomless wells and a deep river inside me
Looking back
What do you see?
Melted snowflakes and icy tears that drown me
Looking back
What do you see?
Treasured memories and a brave soul that revives me
.
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 © April 2025
Today’s poem was my inspired poetic response to David’s “Sijo”, ‘Of all things, or: Bridge to nowhere’. >> https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/03/28/of-all-things-or-bridge-to-nowhere/
Over at Weekly Prompts, since it’s the last weekend of the month, “One Day” is again the monthly Prompt! To visit their fabulous site, please click on >> Here
One Day, or: Bless My Soul
Beneath our feet, there lies a common mound
Between our ears, the winds of time hear no sound
Below our eyes, the promised land cannot be found
Within our hearts, we share the lost and drowned
Beyond our souls, the world’s burial grounds
Belong to the hounds, who run the battlegrounds
Ivor Steven © March 2025
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 