At our Dome group meeting, Jen — our chairperson — said, “I’m not here next meeting, so we need to choose a theme for next month.” A few of us laughed, and someone replied, “Well, I’m Not Here sounds like a theme in itself.” And just like that, the idea settled over us, light as a wink.
The Geelong Library and Heritage Centre … affectionately known as The Dome.
And for Sadje’s, What do you see # 337- 20 April, 2026, I chose her first prompt image >> What do you see # 337- 20 April, 2026 – Keep it alive
This image shows someone holding three cups and the cups are made in the image of a woman’s face. The expression on the three cups are slightly different from each other.
I’m Not Here
I’m not here — I’m in limbo,
behind a solitary glass window,
there on the north side of the Dome;
it stands out like a fairy’s magical home.
I’m not here, but I am somewhere
high above the Gingko in the fresh air,
where I hear the fairy Godmother’s vacant chair
whisper haunting poetic quotes by Voltaire.
“Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget
to sing in the lifeboats.” ~ Voltaire
“The right to free speech is more important
than the content of the speech.” ~ Voltaire
“Many are destined to reason wrongly;
others, not to reason at all; and others,
to persecute those who do reason.” ~ Voltaire
And still, from that quiet window in the Dome,
I’m not here — yet somehow feeling at home.
Somewhere between presence and absence, the music carries what words can’t quite hold.
Ivor Steven © April 2026
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 