Last week, Derrick posted an interesting article about “Recycling Rocks” which prompted the pebbles in my head to tumble around. Please Note: Derrick Knight took the photos, and he kindly allowed me to reproduce them on my poetry site. >> https://derrickjknight.com/2025/02/18/recycling-rocks
Rocks
Our buried rocks are not in the wrong Isn’t that where they belong?
Some rocks like to live below the ground Others lie exposed and love to be found
I have heard of people owning pet rocks Do they put them to bed, in pyjamas and socks?
Some humans have never had their minds unlocked They are an uninventive and uninteresting stock That wear ear-muffs made from yesterday’s iceblocks
Robbie’s Inspiration – Book reviews: Perceptions by Ivor Steven and Derrick Knight
What Amazon says
This colourful and fascinating book is a collection of collaborative articles. The photographs were taken by Derrick Knight from the New Forest area of southern England, and associated ekphrastic poems were written by Ivor Steven from Geelong, the other side of the world, the southern end of Australia.
My review
I am a fan of Ivor Steven’s poetry and also of Derrick Knight’s photography so this combined collection of poetry and photography is a real treat.
Ivor depicts everyday events and life through a lens of beautiful and uplifting words which is a marvelous talent. Derrick captures everyday life in an unusual and special way. I really enjoyed these combinations.
A few examples of the poetry with descriptions of the accompanying photographs:
Sunset couple on bench – a gorgeous photograph of the sun setting over water and flooding the world with golden light with a silhouette of a loving couple on a bench.
The words: A Rainbow Dance “At the end of the rainbow We shall dance and glow On nature’s golden plateau”
Autumn woodland – a wonderful photograph of a wooded area during autumn which the trees are a variety of yellows, greens and auburns. There is a large bush, in shades of beige, in the forefront.
An extract from Connected: “up there under draconian dark clouds I see a blue moon rising gracefully shrouding the horizon”
Ferns and grasses – a glorious picture of ferns and grasses adorned in shades of green and yellow, dancing in the sunlight.
Extract from The Ancient Fern Survives: “selfish, unopened minds remain numbed False eyelashes are heavy and closed Botoxed lips are silent and sealed And elephant ears have been pegged out of sight”
This book is a special combination of visual and literary delights.
The ancient wheels of time Have been mysteriously left behind In refuse paddocks of weeds and slime Oh, what a mortifying crime
Has society overstepped the line Spoke-less, with no rhythm or rhyme Have we become deaf, dumb, and blind Unable to handle the future’s slippery climb Without using the New World’s AI design
Under a shady tree, I grow I wriggle my toes Into the moist mossy mound Where the sun never touches the ground
I push upward without a sound Wearing a small golden crown That covers my short nightgown Then I open and shakedown Over the undergrowth’s brown eiderdown
Today, my Throwback Friday poem was originally inspired by the three photos in my article … The photos were all taken by Derrick Knight, who kindly allowed me to reproduce them here for my poem “Connected” … The poem also appears in our collaborative Book of Poems and Photographs, “Perceptions”, on page 19.
Many of you know of my friendship with Derrick Knight … last night his property was lashed by gale force winds and in response to his article about the damage to his wonderful garden, I wrote this Haiku. >> https://derrickjknight.com/2023/12/21/fearing-for-the-weeping-birch/Please Note; All photos reproduced on this post, were taken by Derrick
Over at Weekly Prompts, the Weekend Challenge is the word: Why. You may visit their fabulous site by clicking on >> Here Featured Image Above: A photo taken by Derrick Knight, >> https://derrickjknight.com/2023/10/27/autumn-has-arrived/ and again he has kindly given me permission to reproduce his intriguing photo, here on my poetry site … and I am always asking myself, Why?
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 