Cake Crumbs and Coffee Stains

Cake Crumbs and Coffee Stains

I’m at this cafe table, alone

My notebook page is blank

Except for cake crumbs and coffee stains

The cafe venue is not full

Because with the current laws, there’s a Quota

A maximum of only thirty people

I feel for the young owners

Trying to run a small business

Under these necessary restrictions

There’s the mandatory sign-in and hand sanitising

As the voracious covid’s dirty paws

Attack untethered and unannounced

Waiting your turn, is a normal process

Patrons have become more civil and patient

And unbothered I casually scribble these words

Between the cake crumbs and coffee stains

https://youtu.be/4nIstBp8jaQ

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020

A Collection of Ponds Turns Into a Lake

Hello dear readers, yesterday I wrote this Haiku for Beth ( ididnthavemyglasseson.wordpress.com ) about ‘Ponds’….

“A dragonfly Pond
Mirror’s the hot summer sky
Natures gallery ” … and this morning (Sunday) I was reading the 8 Haiku’s I had written over the last 8 weeks, and in my mind they seemed to be following a theme… Then I decided to format them into one piece/poem… so here is my ‘Lake’ of words…..

A Collection of Ponds Turns Into a Lake

Peaceful is the dawn

Morning frost is hovering

Sunshine cuts the ice

A dragonfly Pond

Mirror’s the cold winter sky

Natures gallery

Soft winter sunshine

The sky’s raining blue diamonds

Warms my fragile heart

Are we hand in hand

With hearts joined, ready to start

A new wisdom age

Are we the drowned ones

Laying beside our beached whales

Unable to breathe

Cold steel’s not power

Love can’t be an iron fist

Hand in hand we breathe

Upon our torn earth

Lets sit around the camp fire

One circle of sand

On and on we go

We the mighty do venture

Above and beyond

Featured Image above; Taken by my Canadian Auntie, of the Barrier Lake in Alberta.

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020

From Little Things, Big Things Grow

Once I was a little fella, bursting at the seams

Who loved moonbeams and had big dreams

Years have gone by, now I watch and I listen

And sadly I feel our world’s listing

I’m an emotional old guy

And one day, I’m gonna die

Life has taught me to be patient

My story unfolds in poetic testaments

Words written, some happy, others blatant

Little things that grow by accident

Little rhymes, not asking for judgement

My little rhythmical notes, my instruments

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020.

Pink Elephants and One Day to Go

Party, party week

Seven days of giving cheek

Eating and drinking like a hog

Sleeping like a frog on a log

But no leaping and dancing

Just happily dreaming and romancing

Friends to meet and greet

Places to go, coffee and sweets

Bones are sagging like old awnings

And I’m smiling at pink elephants in the mornings

There’s a finale fling tonight

Before a last lullaby under starry lights

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020

Olsen Olsen by Sigur Ros (english translation)

Two three cats ran,
which is the same as the cats,
two three can check,
where is the brother of one.

pushbutton board,
fruits of the boat,
ask him to eat,
tell her she does not want to.

cempedak fruit outside the fence,
take pole pitch,
I am a newbie,
if you cant show it

Peace And Serenity

The featured image above, is a photo taken by Canadian uncle(Dick), who was from, High River, Alberta. and the photograph is of Maligne Lake, a lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The lake is famed for the colour of its azure water, the surrounding peaks.

Peace and Serenity

There’s an old biplane sign-writing on a cloud

A red blue and white poster, big and loud

Capitol Hill has coldly declared, “Chaos”, in the sky

Copied by the media’s dirty claws gone awry

Our messy world’s living on unclean ground

Lock-down’s isolation the silent sound

Stay calm and relaxed behind our covering masks

And lets inhale peace and serenity as our objective task

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020

Sigur Rós – Varúð

Warning (English Translation)

Three laid out

And fields of everything melted

Out all, all out.

And let’s light the bonfire-candles

And the winds from far away.

As ?who/might be something else? became brick walls

All, everywhere

And enough bones are cold

Kills everything

Warning

Outside, part of the icecold

Let’s light a bonfire, when it’s evening

And words wait bluecold

Let’s build again a silver shelter

And winds from underneath

As ?who? became brick walls

All, everywhere

There laid a thousand falls

And draws everything

Warning

I’ve Been Caught Again

The midnight bell sweetly chimed

And I saw a bright silver moon

Soon dawn opened my sleepy eyes

And I saw a glowing golden sun

The old alarm did not ring

Arising early is no longer the thing

Today I’m another year older

Sixty-nine years upon my shoulders

Time has worn my aching back

And every ageing bone goes crack

But isn’t there a crack in everything

That’s how the new morning light gets in

Ivor Steven (c) July 20th 2020

Pockets Full of Stars

Pocket Full Of Stars

I’ve been sleeping with memories

Here in my brother’s house

A home, away from home

I’m quietly laying here

In a warm cosy bed

Happily wiping away stars

From my night-time eyes

And up on the bedroom wall

There’s a picture of tranquillity

A painting familiar to me

Created by the hands of an angel

Pastel sky and a calm blue sea

Precisely how she viewed the world

A place of peace and serenity

I’m smiling under these loving tears

Knowing she’s within me every year.

Ivor Steven (c). July 2020

Pockets Full of Gravel

I’ve walked a long rough road

Granted to me by His hard gavel

A path of highs and lows

Never smooth nor level

Knees were bruised and cut

By slippery tracks of coarse gravel

Tripping over old shoelaces

Untidy and unravelled

Life has been lost and found

During my perpetual travels

But I’ll continue to follow my star

And keep riding the wise man’s camel

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020

Vaka (Wake), Lyrics by Sigur Ros

You sigh low tonight
You’re so alone
You’re so
You sigh low tonight
You’re so alone
You’re so
You’re so low
You’re so alone
You’re so
You sigh low
You sigh low
You’re so
(you’re so)

you sigh low tonight
You’re so alone
You’re so
You sigh low tonight
You’re so alone
You’re so
You’re so low
You’re so alone
You’re so
You sigh low
You sigh low
You’re so

Ocean Spirit

Dawn sunshine awakens my weary bones

And I hear the early birds are singing

About my day’s visions of flying towards home

Then I remember the tune and start humming

As the windless sky beckons my ocean spirit

It’s time to travel beyond these noisy urban alarms

Sit upon cool sand, and listen to the waves lyrics

Rhythmically roll into my waiting arms

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020

A Brick Wall Comes Alive

Over the last two weeks I’ve had the pleasure of observing a creative piece of street-artwork evolving on a corner shop wall, at nearby the ‘Box Office Cafe’, where I like to enjoy a coffee and cake… The wonderful painting, inspired me to write this little poem.

A Brick Wall Comes Alive

There, before my smiling eyes

An old brick wall comes alive

A colourful display, growing and flowing

There’s flowers and faces glowing

Within artistic creations of finesse

Upon every brush-strokes progress

The facade’s sharing her party dress

And she’s dancing in the streets to impress

Oh.. At Carolyn’s request, here’s pic’s of my coffee & cakes….

Ivor Steven (c) July 2020