G'day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I'm an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those personal thoughts, throughout and beyond my life as a Carer.
I've been blogging for over 2 years, and writing poems for 19 years. Of course a lot of my poems are about my favourite subject Carole, but since I've been blogging my writings have become quite varied, humourous, mystical, observational, and even a few monster/horror poems.
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Thank you Linda, yep it’s been hot over, 100’F for 4 days in a row !! 🤗👟My exercise and walking program has slowed, apparently it’ll be cooler after the weekend 😁❤️
For me, obviously it’s the cold rainy weather that has kept me behind closed doors…spring for us is supposed to be right around the corner…Mother Nature I’m sure has other plans 😬
A hot-weather day can be THE perfect day to stay indoors, drink cold drinks, bask in good memories of your Carole, and write poems. 🙂
CoolHUGS!!! 😀
PS…Is Cyndi keeping you company today?!
Yes Cyndi is here for today and the weekend, she’s a lovely girl. I actually rescued her from the lost dogs home and give her to my then partner, the little King Cavalier loves me because she thinks I saved her life xx
In the cool of the evening
and the going down of the sun
the heat finally retreats
and all mirages undone.
Not all that glimmers is gold.
Visions to spur on the young
as dreams embolden the old.
The Spirit always speaking gently
whether the weather is hot or cold.
You’re poetic talent is no mirage. I can’t believe it’s so hot there while we are freezing our you know what’s over here. I am a warm weather girl so I am going to envy your heatwave.
I just now had an epiphany, Ivor. You’re a master of suspense. I should have noticed it before, but you have a real knack for creating anticipation in your readers. At least in me, that is. You’re so good at it, I bet you do it instinctively. The best skills, I think, are things we learn so well, we do them as if by instinct.
At any rate, it carries me through your poems. It pulls me along effortlessly on my part. I never need make myself read the next line.
I have learned something from a master tonight. It is mine now. Mine to screw it up!
Oh Paul you’ve just told me something that I didn’t know about myself. And yes my writings are completely instinctive. I know I like to write a story that has a element of surprise/anticipation. But it all happens instinctively, and I suppose it’s just in my nature as a person. Thank you for your wondrous comment, I’m smiling to myself in bewilderment……..
Glad to help a fellow poet see his work through someone else’s eyes. It seems so obvious to me now, Ivor, I wonder why I didn’t see it before. But tonight it just hit me, “Ivor can make a hot, listless, sleepy day sound like a suspense novel!”
Here’s how I see it in this particular case. It starts subtly — very subtly — with the first two lines:
“I’ve shut myself inside
The devil’s heat lays outside”
Devil = danger = “What’s going to happen next?” Not to mention, you’re obviously aware of the danger — you’re shutting yourself inside, after all. Had I written about such heat, there most likely would have been not even a hit of suspense, Ivor. With luck, I might have communicated “It was a hot day” as well as you, but I would not have instinctively created anticipation, suspense.
Of course, it gets amplified way up with: “Who am I hiding from”.
That’s just one poem. But now that I’ve recognized it, I recall you doing it a lot.
It’s quite obvious to me your skills come directly from all those decades you spent as a plumber looking a dripping faucets, trying to guess when the next drop would fall. 😀
Thank you again Paul, when I look back on my words, you are obviously correct. I wrote another poem about the heat a few hours ago, and a political statement as well, and yes your right again !!
I suppose it came from my 30 years of caring for Carole, every day was a different day and planning the next day went out the door 🚪😉
Yep..I get it
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Thank you Linda, yep it’s been hot over, 100’F for 4 days in a row !! 🤗👟My exercise and walking program has slowed, apparently it’ll be cooler after the weekend 😁❤️
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For me, obviously it’s the cold rainy weather that has kept me behind closed doors…spring for us is supposed to be right around the corner…Mother Nature I’m sure has other plans 😬
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yes Mother Nature is in charge !!
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Unfortunately looks like it will be hot for a few more days yet.
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Yes, sometimes there’s only one thing to do when our mind doesn’t want to let go.
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Thank you Mark, we’re not in charge of our locked minds 🔒😊
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If I can ask, How long has she been gone?
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It will 7 years in May, when I’m traveller to New York…. and Philadelphia… it’ll be a happily a great time for me…..
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Have fun in my hometown (Philly)
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It’ll be fun, I’m staying with my cousins, in Philly, whom I’ve never met, only through letters and photos, and now via the internet ..
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There’s some great museums, the constitution center, sports and, of course, cheesesteaks.
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We’ve had a break in our unseasonably warm weather and are now back to normal Spring temperatures, with rain of course!
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Going to be hot for another 3 days, I’ll be a hard boiled egg by then 😉🍳
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A hot-weather day can be THE perfect day to stay indoors, drink cold drinks, bask in good memories of your Carole, and write poems. 🙂
CoolHUGS!!! 😀
PS…Is Cyndi keeping you company today?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Cyndi is here for today and the weekend, she’s a lovely girl. I actually rescued her from the lost dogs home and give her to my then partner, the little King Cavalier loves me because she thinks I saved her life xx
LikeLiked by 2 people
In the cool of the evening
and the going down of the sun
the heat finally retreats
and all mirages undone.
Not all that glimmers is gold.
Visions to spur on the young
as dreams embolden the old.
The Spirit always speaking gently
whether the weather is hot or cold.
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Thank you David, I enjoyed your words of wisdom….
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As inspired by Ivor . . .
the Gee Long Poet Laureate 😎
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A poet I may be
A local lad I am
Inspired by what I feel and see
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Take comfort in hiding from that heat Ivor!!!!
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I’ve done my physio and back home again 👟📝
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Happy home heat hiding!
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Very much, even here 3.00am it’s 28’C, hard to get a good sleep ☺️🙄
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Holy Moly Hot Air!
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I’m doing a nothings Saturday. It’s even hot in front of the computer screen……
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oh my Ivor…..that’s pretty darn hot. do you have air conditioning?
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No, I have a couple of fans, and plenty of water …
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Put a bowl of ice cubes in front of the fan….might give you some cool relief.
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Thank you Colleen, I’ve managed ok, I just did lots of nothing’s 🤗🤗
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You’re poetic talent is no mirage. I can’t believe it’s so hot there while we are freezing our you know what’s over here. I am a warm weather girl so I am going to envy your heatwave.
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Thank you Irma, that’s a lovely thing to say about my poetry. We’ve still got 3 days of the heat wave to go 😁🌊
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Oh my! Stay cool! Eat lots of ice cream! (At least that’s what I do in a heatwave!)
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My home is reasonably cool, but failing today, 40’C outside and my lounge-room is 32’C … Phew !!!, I’m surviving ok…, drinking lots.
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Oh my! That darn global warming…
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I was just reading your post….. Tundra – cold and frozen…… It melted before I could read it all …………..
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😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 sizzle!!
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Good morning from cold Athens although the sun!!!! Kisses Ivor!!!!
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I could feel sweat pouring down my brow as I read this! 😓
Stay cool. 😎
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Still fairly hot a the moment 10.50pm, and 28’C still 😂😎
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Oh! That makes me dread our summers! 😱
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I just now had an epiphany, Ivor. You’re a master of suspense. I should have noticed it before, but you have a real knack for creating anticipation in your readers. At least in me, that is. You’re so good at it, I bet you do it instinctively. The best skills, I think, are things we learn so well, we do them as if by instinct.
At any rate, it carries me through your poems. It pulls me along effortlessly on my part. I never need make myself read the next line.
I have learned something from a master tonight. It is mine now. Mine to screw it up!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh Paul you’ve just told me something that I didn’t know about myself. And yes my writings are completely instinctive. I know I like to write a story that has a element of surprise/anticipation. But it all happens instinctively, and I suppose it’s just in my nature as a person. Thank you for your wondrous comment, I’m smiling to myself in bewilderment……..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to help a fellow poet see his work through someone else’s eyes. It seems so obvious to me now, Ivor, I wonder why I didn’t see it before. But tonight it just hit me, “Ivor can make a hot, listless, sleepy day sound like a suspense novel!”
Here’s how I see it in this particular case. It starts subtly — very subtly — with the first two lines:
“I’ve shut myself inside
The devil’s heat lays outside”
Devil = danger = “What’s going to happen next?” Not to mention, you’re obviously aware of the danger — you’re shutting yourself inside, after all. Had I written about such heat, there most likely would have been not even a hit of suspense, Ivor. With luck, I might have communicated “It was a hot day” as well as you, but I would not have instinctively created anticipation, suspense.
Of course, it gets amplified way up with: “Who am I hiding from”.
That’s just one poem. But now that I’ve recognized it, I recall you doing it a lot.
It’s quite obvious to me your skills come directly from all those decades you spent as a plumber looking a dripping faucets, trying to guess when the next drop would fall. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you again Paul, when I look back on my words, you are obviously correct. I wrote another poem about the heat a few hours ago, and a political statement as well, and yes your right again !!
I suppose it came from my 30 years of caring for Carole, every day was a different day and planning the next day went out the door 🚪😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
stay in the shade and think of her and sigh and know she thinks of you too.
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Thank you Gina, a couple of more days to go, I’ll sure
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I’ll survive ok, but it’s very tiring on me at the moment 😊😎🤗📝
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There are no better thoughts than those about one we love 😊
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The heat has accentuated my love Walt ………
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As it should be 😊
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