Dear readers and followers, thank you to everyone who diligently read my post, asking for help to choose 2 poems out of the 5 poems I had selected/presented. Your collective imput and help has been fantastic, give yourselves a big pat on the back. The poem ‘My Rainbow’ was by far the most popular, and easy for me to pick as my first submission. The second selection was a much closer affair, and with me as the author, having the deciding vote, the poem ‘Leafless Branches’ is my second submission. Again thank you all for your interest and involvement. I hope you all enjoyed the process as much as I did… Now it’s all up to the judges, to see if my two submissions are selected for the ‘Geelong Writers Anthology 2019’…..
Dear readers and followers, I’m in a conundrum. Below are five of my poems that I’ve choosen to submit for pubilication, in the 2019 Geelong Writers Annual Anthology. The problem for me, is that I’m only allowed, to submit TWO !!! Please help… if you wish to, chose “2” and mention them in your comment on this article…. I would gratefully accept any feedback… Thank you…. And Of course I have to do my submission before I leave for New York, on Wednesday 24th April.
*1 I Dream On Snippets
I’m living on snippets
A snip here, a piece there
I don’t watch TV news nor read newspapers
There’s no need to see more
False dreams don’t swim in my sea
And realities fill my soul with broken keys
I don’t watch many movies
I know their spirit’s are within me
And their ghosts live beyond what I see
I’m sipping on the holy grail
A thimble of wine
To a chalice of water
There’s no need to drink more
Rivers of tears have already flooded my heart
And clouds fill my soul with yesterdays rain
I’m eating snippets
A morsel here, a crumb from there
I don’t hunt for my groceries
There’s no need to eat more
Food magically lands on my plate
Delivered by angels who look after me
I’m breathing wisps of air
Gasping for my invisible share
Enough to activate my inner being
There’s no need to inhale more
The sky is infinite and free
And the trees air fills my lungs, regenerating me
*2 Leafless Branches
There’s a warning sign swirling in my yard
Words are being splattered on my fence
Blown in by today’s gale
Leafless branches are flying around
Nature’s own, final count down
Suddenly, on the horizon, there’s a red-brown cloud
Rolling in, over the barren hills
And a dust-storm quickly engulfs the air
Racing silver clouds and blue sky
Invisible through the thick red haze
Dry topsoil from the western plains
Aerially transported by the wind’s angry throat
And there’s no calming the dusty tempest
Until mother nature has had her way
I stand here, leaning against her force
Feeling her violence, pitch dirt in my face
*3 My Rainbow
Over mountains, into a distant sky
Blazing hues of African butterflies
Sparkling reflections of our last goodbyes
Did you see my yesterday rainbow
She’s ruby red, yellow and blue
The heavenly ring, in everyone’s view
Above you, a perfect archway
Behind you, a forever shining sun-ray
Around you, a golden halo everyday
*4 Don’t Ask Me Why
Unknowingly, I often dream of her serene ashen face
Years ago, I gently held her frailty in my tired arms
Softly whispering to her, last words of love and grace
Don’t ask me why, I count the days, since I’ve missed her charms
I cannot give you a sensible nor plausible answer
Don’t ask my why, I count the weeks, since I lost my way
I’m unable to fathom the depths of my inner cancer
Don’t ask me why, I count the months, since she died that day
Another birthday for my gracious lady, I’ve written a new birthday poem for her this year, I’m beginning a new dawn, somehow, my body has been renewed, I’m wearing new shoes, and I’m flying across those new purple skies, going to New York and Philadelphia. I’ll go gather up new blossoms, and glittering American violet blue stardust, I’ll bring them back for you, and sprinkled the petals of family love, covering you, with a new colourful mauve blanket of love, ….. Oh, I can see your gorgeous everlasting smile,…… there in front of me…….
My Star In The Purple Sky
My morning flowers
Blossomed, a violet blue
For her and me
The sun filtered through
Casting a purple shadow
Over you and I
Delivering our mauve star
Into the distant sky
Where she shines nightly
Looking over you and I
“Distant Sky”
[Nick Cave:]
Let us go now, my one true love
Call the gasman, cut the power out
We can set out, we can set out for the distant skies
Watch the sun, watch it rising in your eyes[Else Torp:]
Let us go now, my darling companion
Set out for the distant skies
See the sun, see it rising
See it rising, rising in your eyes[Nick Cave:]
They told us our gods would outlive us
They told us our dreams would outlive us
They told us our gods would outlive us
But they lied
[Else Torp:]
Let us go now, my only companion
Set out for the distant skies
Soon the children will be rising, will be rising
This is not for our eyes
I’m not a prolific writer of Haiku’s. Actually flicking through my poem file’s, I could count them on my fingers and toes !! Yes, out of the hundreds upon hundreds of poems, I have only written “21” Haiku’s. There is no reason as to why so few, because I do enjoy the concise format of the Haiku, they flow well for me, and I think most of them come out ok….. Well here I go, Ivor’s complete collection of Haiku’s… Oh and I only started writing them, about 6 months ago, with “Sky Blue” …….
Sky Blue
I’m covered in blue
The morning sky clears my eyes
Sea-air fills my lungs
Blue
Today’s deep sky blue
Warming my chest and soul too
Curing cough and flu
True, it’s a dog’s life
Who would kill a lonely cat
Peace to you and you
Last evening I attended a poetry open mic’ event, held by ‘lowercase poetry’. The word theme for night was “A Shadow Of Doubt”. I was invited on stage to read my poem called ‘Finality”, a copy of which I’ve attached here below my Haiku, ‘Recital
Haiku:
Recital
The voiceless man spoke
An old poet recited
His words clear and strong
Finality (Revised)
We will all travel, life’s journey
There’s reality in the end, a concluding count down
Finality occurs, not a shadow of doubt
Sooner or later, we have to retire, and work no more
Old tools are laid to rest, gathering dust
There’s a time, when we have to say goodbye
To that special one’s, sad crying eyes
Suddenly life propels us, to pass our friends lives
The people we knew, dwindle to a few
And beyond the lies, earth slowly dies
We the custodians, failed to see overcast skies
Our belief’s shriveled, inside religious sleeves
The jealous and greedy, are yet to eat their last supper
I hope tomorrow’s future, is better than today’s veiled ways
And yesterday’s trials, become the healing castle’s final say
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 