Tullawalla #11

Hello dear readers and followers, again I must apologise for not being on WordPress and blogging with my normal zest….  I’ve been busy working (ouchie), socialising (yeah), and arduously  preparing and typing up my Eleventh Tullawalla Poetry Booklet….. Wow what a task I set myself, this booklet contains fifty of my poems, and I found the extra ten  poems to be a far bigger booklet than I thought it would be……. Anyhow the booklet is finally completed, and as always, they are available for purchase, either as a hard copy or a PDF format….. All proceeds go to the MS Charity Shop, here in Geelong West….. Please contact me here through my web page and I can chat about arrangements from there…. Oh, the booklet is called “Tullawalla:  This Is What Matters”, all about the two months since I’ve been back from Philadelphia……And I’ll attach my poem from the booklet, “This Is What Matters”….. I have also posted this article at “Go Dog Go Cafe’s” Promote Yourself Monday…. To visit their fabulous site, please click >> Here

This Is What Matters

 

My Thursday evenings, are a boys night out

As usual, we drank and chattered

Opinions on every general topic

No politics nor religion

We talk about important issues

Mainly, travel, music and sports

Lively banter, of who’s who

Any, this and thats

We know what matters

And how to save a world in tatters

 

Then I was asked about my trip

My adventures in New York

And the meeting of my cousins and their families

In the warmth of Philadelphia

Fondly, I mentioned my time there

With cousins Ken, Maureen and Terry

And of course, my special niece, Kerri

I explained how they thoroughly spoilt me

I said “Truly the best time of my life”

Slowly tears welled in my eyes

And my friends, saw the liquid joy in my heart

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  August 2019

copyright

Have A Coffee And Cake With Me

Have A Coffee And Cake With Me

 

Here At the Box-Office Cafe

Comfortable, warm, within quaint, rustic decor

Having my lunch break, away from work

Me and my travelling back-pack

Royal blue. light and true

I wear her like a second skin

Touring everywhere with me

From Geelong’s Bell Post Hill

To Philadelphia’s Bensalem

Carrying my notebooks and pens

And those Tullawalla booklets

The words are always in my bag

They’re for anyone to peruse, at a local cafe

Could be anyone, that I might sit next too

A friendly chat, an introduction, a hello

If they’re interested in what I do

I hand them my poetry website card

This is what I write, thank you

They smile, and say “I’ll read your words”

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  August 2019

 

 

A Quilt, For A Good Man.

I’ve had this quilt for three years now, a birthday present from my girlfriend at that time. The quilt covers me every night, and I wonder and I dream, of the past, and the future. The past clings to me, like a warm blanket, and the future awakens every morning, when I toss the sheets back over the quilt.20170308_145809

A Quilt, For A Good Man. 

 

A quilt, crafted by hand.

Definitely for a man.

Bold and beautiful.

Maybe, I was a fool.

A quilt, for lonely nights. 

Made to keep me warm, under a cool moonlight.

Patterns of music notes and instruments.

Although, not Cohen’s Hallelujah, fourth or fifth movement.

A quilt, reminding me constantly.

However, not unpleasantly.

Like winter leaves, grey and black.

And again, there’s no turning back.

 

Ivor Steven (c)  July 2019

Life’s Blooms

I’m doing this Haiku in response to the Weekly Prompt Photo Challenge, “Bloom”, Please click >> Here  .. and go visit their fabulous site………….  and if you happen to enjoy Xavier Rudd’s music, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy his 10 minute piece below/attached…..

 

Haiku: Life’s Blooms

 

Summer in full bloom

Beds of petals for our hearts

Life’s fragrant adieu

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  July 2019

Midnight Creek

Midnight Creek

 

The old plumber is back on the street

My bodies aching and I’m beat

Bloodied fingers and sore feet

Thoughts are drifting up midnight’s creek

 

I’ve crudely been reminded, how hard this job is to do

Cracked hands were turning black and blue

Bending and twisting, I willed myself through

Working the dusty tools, I was thinking of you

 

Pondering, I know I’ve given it my best

Here on my quiet riverbed, I rest

My joints will recover, in time for my next test

Tentatively, I’m flying out of this restoration nest

 

Ivor Steven (c)  July 2019

The Perfect Gift

Liquid joy is glazing my eyes

I’m reading newly received, birthday cards

They arrived today, from America

Messages of love, from distant families

Hand written words, etching visions into my soul

A envelope full of really real, colourful stars

And children’s love letters

For the kindhearted dragon and his faeries

Including my cousins, touching heartfelt poem

Followed by my gift, a writers notebook, for those special dreams

 

Ivor Steven (c)  July 2019

There Is Something In Air

The music of Abbey Road is playing

Here I sit in Union Street listening

And there is something in the air

Sounds of words with honest flare

The Open Mic, poetry night

Again, at the Valhalla Bar site

The attendance, was a small downer

A cold winter storm, dampened evening goers

But the enthusiastic gathering

Enjoyed the writers readings

A mixture of poems and vocal songs

The entertainment flowed along

And I had time to read four poems

A range of my many emotions

 

https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2018/07/19/my-dragon-the-trilogy-3/

https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2019/06/28/black-snow-thaws-in-the-winter-sun/

https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2019/07/20/back-to-her-man/

https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2019/04/16/haiku-our-river/

 

Ivor Steven (c)  July 2019

Nourishment

Above, the Featured Image, is a photo of our impressive Geelong Library, I was there this morning receiving my monthly nourishment of shared poetry readings, a gathering of fellow Geelong Writers poet members, and a meeting that truly enhances my love of poetry….

Nourishment

I’ve been slowly recovering

And calmly re-discovering

Joyful nourishment for my soul

And now, I do care about myself

Enough, that I’ll have to build more room

To accommodate my regenerating life

The actual skill

Is having the will

From a little seed sown

Big things are grown

All creations are a masterpiece

Rejuvenating our ancient existence

Ivor Steven (c) July 2019