This evening I celebrated “World Poetry Day” at a special event sponsored by Deakin University and Geelong Regional Library, which was held in the magnificent Geelong Library Building, featuring recitals from six exceptional poets, John Bartlett, Wendy Fleming, Rosemary Blake, Maria Takolander, Rachel Baxter, and Anne Elvey.
For World Poetry Day I am presenting a poem from my new book Perceptions – “A Soul’s Weary Retreat”, which I scanned directly from the book.
Video Below: Leonard Cohen reciting “A Thousand Kisses Deep”
Today I am presenting an article about my recent book “Perceptions”, which was Edited & Published by Judy at Jaymah Press. Below I have attached my ‘Web-copy’ from Jaymah’s website, which clearly explains “our” book’s innovative concept … Also, I am pleased to announce that my “book launch” for Perceptions will be on: Sunday 16th April 3.30pm, at the Box Office Cafe.
I am not sure how to explain my inner feelings within my heart today. I know Dad and Mum would be proud of my achievements, and that my Dear Carole would be crying tears of “Liquid Joy” for me … I received the most wonderful news today … my books “Tullawalla and Perceptions” have been accepted by the Geelong Regional Library, and will soon be available on Library’s bookshelves. A big thank you to Kim, the Collection Support & Information Services Officer at the Geelong Library, for accepting my books. When I began writing (scribbling) poetry 22 years ago, not long after my first stroke, Leonard Cohen’s music and poetic lyrics had a huge influence on the emotions behind my words, and probably his song I have attached below, “One of Us Cannot Be Wrong”, still evokes my heart every time I listen to the incredibly beautiful lyrics.
It’s Just A Little Dream (Tullawalla, page 113)
I’ve been waiting inside For that never-never ride Wishing for that little shrug To turn into a dream-time hug
I’ve been waiting outside Trying not to hide Wishing for that little smile To travel one more mile
I’ve been waiting all-day Calling out, please stay Wishing for that little heartbeat To lay down at my feet
I’ve been waiting all-night For that one-way flight Wishing for that little dove To glide down from above
I’ve been waiting, seems forever Crying quietly, oh, whatever Wishing for that little embrace To sleep with me, face to face
If you are looking for some recommended reading, I have the following book reviews for you from Merril D. Smith, and Ivor Steven/Derrick Knight. Curl up with a cup of coffee and read on…
River Ghosts by Merril D. Smith
This delightful volume of over 50 original poems is Merril’s debut poetry collection, published by Nightingale and Sparrow Press. The striking cover was designed by Merril’s child Jay Smith, maintaining the strong family connection which runs throughout this book, dedicated to the memory of the author’s mother, Sylvia L. Schreiber.
The book is haunted by ghosts, from the title poem onwards:
ghosts in dusty grass sit still in the long ago, a gull’s laugh breaks the silence… echoes
These echoes are a recurring and unifying theme throughout the book, in keeping with the author’s dedication to her mother, whose “laugh still echoes.”
There are echoes of the distant past, in poems such as ‘Antikythera Mechanism’ and ‘Jawbone: Homo Sapiens,’ which display Merril’s interest in, and strong connection with, ancient history:
His epitaph, “eight teeth, one broken.” Not living, no longer here, yet not completely gone.
True, too, of the skeletons of the more recent past. ‘Observe, And Again’ carries echoes of the Holocaust:
Freighted bodies bound for the unknown—
a train to hell where fear is the constant.
Atrocities prefigured in ‘The Pogrom:’
and I do carry within me the burnt ruins
of that long-ago pogrom—
an incipient conflagration—who knows?
All levels of history and deep time are here, from human history to the evolution of the universe; subjects close to my heart, as is the historical reputation of women, so thoughtfully examined in ‘Through the Ages, She Is Blamed:’
scared of her knowledge, scared if she’s free those named and nameless who do not see it is they, not she, who commit the atrocities.
There is so much to love in this collection! I could go on, but I encourage you to discover this stunning debut for yourself: River Ghosts is available from Amazon.
Perceptions by Ivor Steven and Derrick Knight
Perceptions is a cross-continental collaboration from poet Ivor Steven (Australia) and photographer Derrick J. Knight (United Kingdom). Here are dragons, faeries, foals and swans captured in verse and image, which complement one another perfectly. The images are predominantly of nature, and perhaps reflect humanity’s struggle to find a place within the natural world, in the ruins of so-called ‘progress’, as evinced by Ivor’s poem, ‘Mankind’s Dirty Hands:’
within nature’s naked forest waiting for mankind’s dirty hands to stop the desert sands from ravaging the last strands of what remains hanging over our land
The poems are a mixture of haiku, senryu and longer poems featuring Ivor’s trademark end-rhymes:
All the world is green within my midday dream please, do not disturb me let me sleep, let me be (from the poem, ‘Let It Be’)
Other contributors who deserve credit are Derrick’s wife, Jackie Knight, who has provided some excellent photography (I particularly like her images of birds) and of course, Ivor’s niece, Kerri Costello, who designed the cover, and linked the book to yet another continent (she lives in the US).
The book (available from Lulu) is a fortuitous combination of verse and image. Despite his own advice to the contrary in the section ‘Do not quote me,’ I will end with what strikes me as a most pertinent quote from Ivor:
“A poet following a poet, gives you poetry in motion.”
It is a testament to the friendships formed on WordPress that these two artists have been able to collaborate successfully and bring this globe-spanning project to fruition!
Happy Reading, Ingrid
Again, Thank You Ingrid, and here is a poem you mentioned in your review …
There Will Be An Answer
All the world is green Within my midday dream Please, do not disturb me Let me sleep, let me be Let it be, let it be
I do not comprehend Your unnatural trends Of killing your neighbours After kicking in their sacred doors
Do not listen to me
Hear the breeze among the trees There, under nature’s ancient marquee She wisely decrees
Live in harmony like the bees Co-existence is free
This morning my Publisher/Editor, Judy, delivered a large box full of “Perceptions” books to my front door… and the final product has far exceeded my expectations. I had a few tears of joy run down my face, so I thought the poem “Sogginess Sets In” would be appropriate for my post today.
List night Geelong Writers Inc. launched the 2nd Issue of this year’s AnoMaly Street, Chapbook Publication (Poetry with a difference), and I am honoured to have my piece “Faerie Runnels” selected in this superbly produced journal. It’s always a great thrill for me to have my poems represented in a locally produced and published book. The Below Photo/Scan shows how my poem appears in the book. “Faeries Runnels” also appears in new book “Perceptions”(page 41)
The weekend challenge on Weekly Prompts is:Urban. Please visit their fabulous site by clicking >>Here … Below is my response to their prompt, and the poem is also included in my new book “Perceptions”, due to be released in early December Featured Image Above: by Derrick Knight >> https://derrickjknight.com/2022/04/28/across-the-stream/
Today I have been proofreading my copy of “Perceptions”, and to break-up the tedious task of proofreading, I wrote this metaphorical poem about reading the book.
My new book “Perceptions” will be out in late November. “This colourful and fascinating book is a collection of collaborativearticles. The photographs were taken by Derrick Knight from the New Forest area of southern England, and associated ekphrastic poemswere written by Ivor Steven from Geelong, the other side of the world,the southern end of Australia.”
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 