Tag: Poetry/Australia

Horses for Courses

The world is a pool of people, some are sick, some are poor, some want more, and some are at war … The Featured Image Above: by Derrick Knight, and thank you to Derrick for letting me use his photo here …

Horses for Courses


there is something about the freedom of horses

beyond green pastures and steeple courses


there is something about the purity of life’s sources

from the snowy mountains down the river courses


there is something about the madness of wartime choices

beyond bloodstained lands of the killing forces


there is something about death’s silent voices

riding in wooden coffins down the hearse’s brief courses





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

Flying Bricks

Featured ImageAbove: Gaza Strip border, Kibbutz Netiv Ha’Asara, Israel © Kai Wiendenhofer


Flying Bricks


There is a divisive brick wall

That stands harsh and tall

To stop people breaking their fall


Then the leaders in ivory towers

Ceased talking about peace and flowers

And hurled bricks into that sandy strip

One brick after another brick

Flew from one side to the other

Crashing innocent children and mothers


Flying bricks crumbling to dust

Creating dirty clouds of mistrust


The walls of Babylon fall again

As brick upon brick adds to the strain

Brick upon brick fills the bloody drains

Brick upon brick kills and maims







Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

Throwback Friday, My Door’s Firmly Shut, by Ivor Steven

“The reblog link for my ‘Go Dog Go Cafe’ post didn’t work today, so here is a copy”
Today I am presenting a poem from August 2017, just 2 months after I began blogging on WordPress ..

My Door’s Firmly Shut

Early Friday morning

At my desk

Writing in pencil

The inks frozen

No joke

Send the firewood

Light up my heart

With warm soulful words

Give my fingers a start

Knuckles are throbbing

An arthritic chill

My dog’s coughing

Poor little Lily

She feels it too

Ah, not to worry

A wry smile

A sunray

Shining through

Thawing my quill

Freeing my will





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

No Bouquets

Written in response to Sadje‘s What do You See #81 photo prompt.

Image credit: Victoria Strukovskaya @ Unsplash
The image shows a closed wooden gate with the number 28.5 written on it with chalk. The gate is surrounded by thick green creepers.

No Bouquets


The twenty eighth of May

The final day to escape Bombay

Leave behind the encroaching Doomsday

Breakaway the padlocked doorways

And seek unknown purified airways


Time to invest wisely in tomorrow’s causeway

Time to invent a new realistic screenplay

That includes the universe’s cabaret

And comprehends mother nature’s ways





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

My Women

Today is my mother’s birthday, and tomorrow is mothersday, and also it was Carole’s funeral day … Here is my tribute to those 2 magnificent women in my life…

My Women


After I had left the hem

Without women

I could not have survived my time

I would not have braved the climb

Ladies you are my rhyme

My mothers of thyme


Helping me roll away the stone

Maintaining these old bones

Repairing the bridges, I have burnt

Reciting the messages, I have learnt

Cheering from the sidelines

Supporting my broken designs

Women of my rhymes

Mothers for a lifetime





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

Seeds of Survival

Life is a journey of discovery

An ordained roller coaster ride

Of tall crests and deep valleys

And if we knew what our voyage would be

We would not venture beyond the cabin door

And sail the world’s unpredictable oceans

Those stormy swallowing vortexes

Of tall tsunami’s and deep ravines


But our passage of life is accepted

Even though our destiny is unknown and unexpected

Nevertheless we persevere and regenerate

For we are the universe’s eternal seeds

The seeds that continue to fly

The seeds that spiritually survive





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021

Rivers Flow By

I find the tears never stop, they just have longer dry spells between the showers……..
“How many rivers of tears must we cry
Before all our deepest wells run dry” … Ivor, May 2012

Rivers Flow By


I sit and watch the rivers flow by

I gaze up and see the clouds roll away

I feel the sun’s warmth is within me to stay

I know my heartbeat is hers every day


I sit and watch the rivers flow by

I look above and see today’s clear blue sky





Ivor Steven (c) May 2021