Tag: Memories

Imaginary Bookcases and Bootlaces


Over at Weekly Prompts, The Weekend Challenge is the word Absence. Please visit their fabulous site by clicking on >> HERE



Imaginary Bookcases and Bootlaces

In the absence
Of any commonsense
I’m here talking in mime
About my memories and rhymes
From behind my imaginary bookcase
And wearing a quirky poet’s face

This is my ordained place
Where I bravely embrace
The unpredictable pace
In this dysfunctional race

Then I cautiously retrace
My creations’ underground faces
From the days of waterlogged bootlaces







.


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 (c) February 2025

Day Lily and Love (Revised)

During early February, my stunning Day Lily begins to bloom, which nostalgically coincides with my father’s birthday week. A potted perennial that I rescued from my dear departed parent’s homestead. The lilies always grace my garden in February as nature’s tribute to Dad, and today’s revised poem was originally written in February 2017, when me and Dad’s day lily moved into my villa, “Shangri La” …





Day Lily and Love (Revised)



Upon my pillow, I sleep
Good morning, I do peek
From the cushion of my dreams
To my garden’s awakening beams
Blushing red hues, oh so bright
You bloom during the night

And after cuddling the dew
You open up your scenic view
Flowering, standing proud, and steep
Perfection at my feet
A glorious Lily, like the wings of a dove
And by sunlight, you air your love





.


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 (c) February 2025




Wandering In My Universe, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Wandering In My Universe” is in this week’s edition. …
To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the article, at Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/wandering-in-my-universe/






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 (c) December 2024

Rehabilitated






Rehabilitated



In the days of old
When the turquoise sky
Wore a smile of pure white gold

I remember gazing up beyond
The yellow wattle blossom
And I discovered the universe
Was a deep blue infinite pond

Today, I am perplexed
I witnessed the same colourful
White-gold and blue vortex
Resurface inside my cosmic annex











All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm



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 (c) November 2024

Throwback Friday, An Empty Shell

** Please note: The featured image above was copied, with permission from Niki Flow’s; >> blog site.  https://under1000skies.org/

Today’s Throwback poem is from July 2019, six months after my third stroke, and stroke fatigue was still occurring regularly. Today, I’m feeling quite fatigued, but it has more to do with my hectic schedule lately …



An Empty Shell

I’m a broken stick
Hit by a tonne of bricks
I’ve stroke fatigue
Tiredness out of my league
The psyche says go
My body says no
Yesterday everything was fine
Today nothing is mine
Only rest and sleep
Not even a sneaky peep
They say, what’s wrong
I say, who’s playing my song
They say, you look ok
I say, I cannot stay
Read us your poem
No! I want to go home
Don’t spoil the show
I’m an empty shell, they do not know













All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm



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 (c) November 2024

Serene Memories





Serene Memories


I live in a time zone
Where a peaceful river flows
Through the heart of my home

Down the road, toward the South
The Ocean’s shimmering memories
Convey a tranquil taste
Of sea mist to my mouth

And not far away, toward the North
The mountain’s eucalyptus fragrance
Serenely follows me back and forth






Ivor Steven (c) October 2024

Throwback Friday, Who’s Left to Row the Boat

Today’s Throwback Friday poem was originally written in August 2018. The story is about the occurrence of my first stroke on the 20th of September, 2000.



Who’s Left to Row the Boat

The storms are too many to count
Emotional lows had weathered me out
Her journey with MS was a struggle
How much lower could our lives sink

After fourteen years of our battles, I suffered a Stroke
An ambulance came, my brain was in a boat
Floating out to sea, overboard and panic-stricken
I wasn’t swimming, barely awake, and drifting
I had fallen, nothing was working, and not talking
She’s crying, I’m sobbing, my heart is dying
And who’s left to row the boat, I’m thinking
I was jabbed with a needle and silently sleeping

I awoke a day later, in hospital, feeling wasted
My face was limp, mouth parched, was that death I tasted
My mind was active, I thought, where is she
I knew I was bad; the room was all blurry to me
Strong anxieties had set in, I needed to know
Nurses came to me, I pleaded, I wanted to go
“Help me to see her, just give my bed a tow
Please let me go, before I’m covered in snow”










All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm


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 (c) September 2024

Falling (a Haibun)

This morning I attended the Dome Poetry Group’s monthly meeting, and the theme/topic was to present a “Haibun”.
‘Falling’, is the Haibun I wrote for the group to peruse.

Haibun Definition: In a haibun, the prose section provides a descriptive narrative or a personal essay-like passage, while the haiku serves as a brief, poetic moment or reflection that complements the prose. The prose typically describes a scene, a journey, an experience, or a memory in a concise and vivid manner, often incorporating sensory details and emotional insights.




Falling (a Haibun)

On this day 24 years ago. I abruptly awoke. I was struggling to breathe, and my right arm and leg felt strange. I did not know I was having a stroke. I struggled and fell out of bed. My tumble woke my wife, Carole, and I could see the anguish or fear in her eyes. Somehow, I was able to ring “000“, and slur enough information for them to locate me. Fortunately, the ambulance guys knew of Carole’s condition and promptly organized the appropriate health agencies to have her minded and cared for.

Falling (the Haiku)

I stumbled
She cried … don’t fall
Love hurts












All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm


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 (c) September 2024

Throwback Friday, Whispering Flowers

It was “our”48th Anniversary on the 10th of September, and my Throwback poem was written when I was recovering from 2nd and 3rd strokes, and of course, during that time I was not allowed to drive …


Whispering Flowers (Tullawalla, page 41)




Whispering Flowers

I went shopping this morning
To buy her flowers
For our anniversary day
A bus trip to the local florist
Then I boarded another bus to the cemetery
My first time on a bus carrying flowers
Bouquet in hand, on I hopped
You could’ve heard a pin drop
Over the silence, I heard solemn whispers
The men on the bus, courteously nodded
And the ladies knowingly smiled
Gratified, I dipped my cap in acknowledgement
Then I started to sense the day’s emotions arise
And with my honesty glowing, I felt proudly special










All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm



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 (c) September 2024

Beyond Time







Beyond Time



Behind the dark side
Out of harm’s way
The moon glows enduringly

Beyond the light
Out of harm’s way
Her star shines eternally

Beyond time
Out of harm’s way
True love never dies











All Books. Now Available At:

Creative Geelong MAY’D Shop,
Shop 15/Centrepoint Arcade
132 Little Malop St, Geelong
TRADING HOURS
Thursday-Saturday
11am-3pm



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 (c) September 2024