Flame and Sorrow

Here is my article, in response to, this weekend’s, Weekly Prompts Challenge, to the Colour Challenge FLAME! …. I’ve selected a song by Icelandic band ‘Solstafir’ for the topic “Flame”…. After you’ve watched the video, you will understand why I chose Solstafir’s song Lagnaetti, which translates to ‘Low Night’….. Below I’ve attached the translated lyrics, and the fascinating music/video of ‘Solsafir’s’, Lagnaetti… I do hope the readers enjoy this interesting piece, and the finale Flame

The English translation to the lyrics of “Lagnaetti” a song by Solstafir

Versions:

Where are you now? I can’t find you here.

I sit by your side; there’s no heat.

But everything must pass on, death’s last custom.

I hurt and betrayed you in my ugly game.

The price is so high with the heart at a doorway.

The bitter feeling of hate, myself always tormented.

In the cruel clutches of death, the sorrow hewed at the string.

Already miss you and call you my love.

I try to stand up straight, but I know I’ll end alone.

Because the black hatred in the heart is our Lord,

The supply of life has fallen into a coma.

Given up completely, the struggle died, now I crawl on my knees.

On a knife’s blade dancing wobbly and sore.

Ivor Steven (c) Nov 2019

My Book Covers

This weekend the Photo Challenge, on Weekly Prompts is, Cover. Today I’m experimenting and trying something completely different for me. I will be attempting to produce a “Video Book Cover”…… For my readers that might not know, the third anniversary of Leonard Cohen’s passing, is on the 7th of November, and appropriately, I’m posting this article as a tribute to Leonard Cohen…. The Book Cover photos, are of the Leonard Cohen books I have in my collection here in my writers haven…..The video is short piece that I’ve created, that goes for 28 seconds, and to play the video click on the arrow in the bottom left of the frame. .. . …however despite the small duration, I am ecstatic with the final outcome of my Book –Cover

Below, I’m attaching a very recent music/video of Leonard Cohen’s brilliant poem, “Happens to The Heart”, his lyrics are superb and the visual effect of the video is definitely stunning……

Ivor Steven (c) October 2019

From Big To Small

Today’s Weekly Photo Prompt is: Big and Small.… and I believe the topic is open to one’s own interpretation….. Please go and visit the fabulous “Weekly Prompts” site >> Here

Tonight I’m making two BIG bowls of salad’s for my dinner. The BIG bowls of salad will probably last me most of the week, for my dinner meals. The two salads I made were a Potatoe Salad and a Broccoli Salad. I had a SMALL serve of each salad with my barbeque lamb loin chop…. Then for sweets I had a SMALL serve of mango yogurt.

Above: my two BIG bowls of salad, the broccoli salad, top of photo, and potatoe salad at the bottom of the photo…

Above: A SMALL serve of each salad with my barbeque lamb loin chop….

Above: The recipe for the Broccoli Salad, and yes, it’s yummy….

Above: My SMALL Mango Yogurt, also very yummy…… actually a Greek style yogurt

Ivor Steven (c) October 2019

Icons And Idols

My post, Icons And Idols, is in response to Calmkate’s, photo prompt: Statues. .. Please Click >> Here… to visit her fabulous article….

The Feature Photo Above, is of my, money box Teddy Bear, that Carole crafted for me thirty years ago…..

Above Left: William Penn Above Right: The Thinker by Rodin

Above Left: Edgar Allan Poe’s, Raven Above Right: My money box

Above Left: The Kiss, by Rodin Above Right: Buddist Temple in Shanghai

Above Left: A Chinese Dragon, in Jade Above Right: My Jade rabbit, my birth year

Above Left: Chairman Mao Centre: David in a front-yard next door Right: No Bull

While I’m away on these trips, I have my garden gnome at the front door, and my courtyard goddess, protecting my house for me….

Ivor Steven (c) September 2019

Not Faux Flowers

In response to, Weekly Photo Prompts…Faux Flowers. However I don’t have any false flowers, but here I’ve some photos of my “real” winter flowers in my courtyard garden.. Featured Image above: Drooping Violet.

Above Left: Begonia, dragon wing red Above Right: Geranium, deep red

Above Left: Osteospermum, yellow Above Right: Bougainvillea, jazzi

The Flower Show

A yard full of blooms

The scene, a sea of colour

Flowering perfume

Ivor Steven (c) August 2019

Five Shades Of Grey

I’m posting this poem for, Helene’s Photo prompt week April 2/2019, “What Do You See ?” and I’m also posting on Welcome to Promote Yourself Monday, at Go Dog Go Cafe, and thank you to MidWest Fantasy for the invitation. Check their site out >>Here

Five Shades Of Grey

Daylight turns into night

Ravens scatter in mid-flight

Dark clouds overlay

Five shades of grey

Thor’s hammer roars

His spark of fire, soars

Fiercely a flaming bolt strikes

Piercing frightened psychs

Stone Arches, High In The Sky

Written in response to Helene’s, What do You See, Photo prompt March 26 to April 1, 2019. And I would also like to thank Claudia, of, “Humoring The Goddess”, and her latest article, for also inspiring me to write this post about the fascinating properties of rocks !!, please click >>Here

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Carl Peverall

The photos in my post here, are of Carl Peverall’s stone and rock sculptures, copied from Claudia’s article today….. I’m sure she won’t mind ??

Featured Image Above Left: Carl Peverall, Gift. and, Above Right: Helen’s Photo Prompt

Below: Rodin’s, Thinker Carl Peverall’s, Minstrel The Cemetery Stone Bench

Stone Arches, High In The Sky

Sitting on this old cemetery bench

Judiciously carved from granite

I’m pondering, like Rodin’s Thinker

Observing God’s arches high in the sky

Supported by tall Gothic columns

Laboriously sculptured stone

Etched by annual rain

Burnt under the ancient sun

Shaped by the winds of time

Dully hued, eleven shades of grey

Smooth rocks from past aeon’s

Millenniums cast in aged sand-stone

History encrusted surfaces

Pillars of society, silently solidified

Entombed witnesses of the painful years

The cold graveyard’s, living pyramids

Monuments to new generations

Life’s statues of our lost souls

Immortality and finality achieved

Beyond a shadow of doubt

Their stoic presence

An eternal epitaph

Yes I’ll Be There

Two weeks ago, on Friday 15th I was cleaning out my mailbox, throwing out all those annoying advertising pamphlets, when I happen to notice a little flyer that caught my attention. Yeah ! a book fair to held the next day in the West Geelong Town Hall. I missed last year’s event, and finding the advertisement was a pleasant surprise…. Yes I did go……….Yes I did buy a few books…. Yes the advertising did work… The Weekly Photo Prompt this week is: Advertising

Below: Some of the Poetry books I did discover and subsequently purchased, and I’m sure they’ll make for interesting reading on my flight over to New York…..

My Neighbour Wasn’t Mowing His Lawn

Come join us!

Tuesday Weekly Challenge

March 19, 2019

until Monday, March 25, 2019

Weekly Photo Prompt: Featured Image.

Hi dear Helene, I’ve yet to participate in one of your weekly photo prompts, and I found your photo fascinating, and my I wrote this poem for your prompt.

My Neighbour Wasn’t Mowing His Lawn

I saw a sign, painted by His hand

The words, I did not understand

I thought why ? another old brick wall

Ascending the crooked ladder, too afraid to fall

There I stood alone, and stared

Above the galaxy’s glare

My retina’s were burning

Last night’s moon had p

My neighbour wasn’t mowing his lawn

I then saw the universe

Oblivion, in a blade of grass

Walk The Walk

In response to The Weekly Photo Prompt, this weeks prompt is: Walking

I’m on a walking program to get fit for my trip to New York at the end of April. I’ve joined a walking group, via WordPress, the other members live in America, we call ourselves the “Turbo Snails”, and I’ve installed a “step counter app”, on my phone. The aim of the group is to walk every day, and record how many steps we have done, and gradually increase the steps per day, over a weekly period. My first two weeks(almost) have been steady and my progress seems to be increasing. I shall take my chart to my physiotherapist on Monday. The main priority, is for me to consistently undertake the daily walk, and naturally the step count will increase over time. As wobbly as I am, the first two weeks has been a pleasant success, in the context of my progress made so far !! , a total of 27,530 steps…. and on January 1st, that amount seemed an impossible target… I was then struggling to step out of the house…