Awkwardness

Featured Image Above; Street art, Little Malop St, CBD, Geelong





Awkwardness

Within this world’s wilderness
Beyond my ongoing tiredness

I must confess 
My aging awkwardness 
It’s becoming more difficult to address 

Nonetheless 
Life’s progress 
It’s a challenging process 






Ivor Steven (c) March 2025

Throwback Friday, Volume Without Sound

Dear followers and friends of my poetry website; wishing you all, a happy and creative “WORLD POETRY DAY” …
“Let the earth bear witness” – – William B Yeats (1916)

Today’s Throwback Friday was written in January 2023
Thank you to Bartholomew >> https://bartbarkerpoet.com/2023/01/06/fraiku-not-just-a-little-shy/ for initially inspiring my “deep water thoughts” back then …






Volume Without Sound (Revised)




when I swim
at the surf beach
and dive deep down
the eerie fullness
of my silent surroundings
enhances the volume
of those submersed thoughts
floating within my mind



 



Ivor Steven (c) March 21st 2025

Clunes Booktown Festival 2025

All the Essentials are packed
Clunes: here we come!


A Poet’s Paradise, The Clunes Booktown Festival

The Event is probably the biggest Book Festival in Australia, and “I’ll be there this weekend, March 22nd and 23rd,” in one of the many “Book Trader Marquees.”







Ivor Steven (c) March 2024

Am I The Pilot


Over at Weekly Prompts, the Wednesday Challenge is Ragged. Please visit their fabulous site by clicking on >> Here
As you might gather from my poem, I am feeling very “ragged around the edges” … I have been hectically busy preparing for the ‘Clunes Booktown’ Festival this weekend …





Am I The Pilot?



What motivates me?
To walk so many miles
Despite the aches and pains

What compels me?
To write every day
Despite my crusty old brain

What drives me?
Over life’s valleys and mountains
Despite yesterday’s hard rain

Will I still be the pilot?
Of tomorrow’s mystery flight
Despite missing tonight’s plane







Ivor Steven (c) March 2025

Of Land and Sky




Of Land and Sky

I am of the land, I cry!
Jealously, I stare at the clear blue sky

Here, the dew departs without a sound
and a freshness caresses the ground

Through the trees, toward the east
I see the sunny morning’s golden beast

Above the trees, looking to the west
I spy the setting moon wearing a sunny vest

Under this land, she eternally lies
and around my heart, I wear a sunny tie






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Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >>  Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)





Perceptions:

Amazon >>  Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >>  Perceptions (lulu.com)





Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books




OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com




Ivor Steven (c) March 2025

Hungry Crows, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine edition.

Hello, dear readers and followers. I write for Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) fortnightly, and my poem “Hungry Crows” (a Pantoum) is in this week’s edition. …
To read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the articleat Coffee House Writers Magazine.
>> https://coffeehousewriters.com/hungry-crows/

Hungry Crows (a Pontoum); is my metaphorical interpretation of the ‘infamous’ White House meeting between President Zelensky and President Trump

A Pantoum, Poetry Format

Stanza 1:
4 lines, ABAB rhyme scheme

Stanza 2:
Line 5 (repeat of line 2 in stanza 1)
Line 6 (new line)
Line 7   (repeat of line 4 in stanza 1)
Line 8 (new line)

Stanza 3:
Last Stanza (This is the format for the last stanza regardless of how many preceding stanzas exist):
Line 9   (line 2 of the previous stanza)
Line 10 (line 3 of the first stanza)
Line 11 (line 4 of the previous stanza)
Line 12 (line 1 of the first stanza)






“My Back Pages” Lyrics by Bob Dylan

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
“We’ll meet on edges, soon,” said I
Proud ‘neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull, I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

Girls’ faces formed the forward path
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality,” I spoke their word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My existence led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.



Ivor Steven (c) March 2025

Welcome!






Welcome!

When you walk into my home
You cannot help but notice
That all the walls are adorned
With photos and various pieces of memorabilia

And if you venture out the back door
Into my verandah and courtyard area
You cannot help but notice
That the fence and walls are also covered
With more pictures and Tullawalla scriptures







.


Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >>  Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)





Perceptions:

Amazon >>  Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >>  Perceptions (lulu.com)





Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books



OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com




Ivor Steven (c) March 2025

Our Day at The Market

Our Creative Geelong Market Day was a very warm 33’C. However, we were comfortable enough, and with Frankie’s friendly demeanor and help we still managed to sell a fair few books.


Our bookstall, and Frankie overseeing the setting up …


The market’s Atrium area, and Jen Stevens with her creative pottery display


Adele and her fabulous hand-painted denim jackets …”Twilight” and “Ekphrastic” were inspired by her perusing my books at our previous market day.


A painting I purchased from our adjacent stall holder, Jen McElwee. And an embroidered card that she gifted me, with my poem “Dreams of the Heart” that she copied from my book “Tullawalla”


How the card appeared on the inside





.


Until Eyes Hear Sound

Lulu Books >>  Until Eyes Hear Sound (lulu.com)





Perceptions:

Amazon >>  Perceptions : Steven, Ivor, Knight, Derrick: Amazon.com.au: Books
Lulu Books >>  Perceptions (lulu.com)





Tullawalla:

Amazon >> Tullawalla A Meeting Place Where My Empty Hands are Full of Memories and Rhymes : Steven, Ivor: Amazon.com.au: Books



OR: >> You may email me directly for a signed copy at
ivorrs20@gmail.com




Ivor Steven (c) March 2025