The clouds parted, exposing a river bright blue
My hazy visions, suddenly became true
I’m standing in a flower-bed of dreams
I see strawberry fields covered in sun-beams
My veins feel like bubbling mountain streams
The family circle, has my heart bursting at the seams
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Inside my head, in my bed
Inside my mind, in a bind
Thoughts of you, always you
Visions of you, all of you
In my mind, I’m so blind
I’m so blind, to my mind
Too many dreams, so it seems
What’s it all mean, so many dreams
Ivor Steven (c) 2018
I’m under a dome, inside a maze
A giant steel worm farm
Crawling with thousands of ants
Bugs of all shapes and forms
Some are dazed, dumbfounded like me
Others stride out bold and carefree
Seeking their worm’s tunnel
Walking down an endless funnel
Where the guzzling worms stop and go
Slurping ants up, riding to and fro
Oh no, which steel worm to catch
Before the grinding halt, to hatch
Unfazed, into a mysterious belly I jump
The giant worm rattles at every bump
Rolling through underground passages
And all the ants are reading messages
I quietly ask one, “where do I get off this worm”
Ah, “You’re in the wrong tunnel “, I’m lost !!
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Bedtime Lullaby
Scream, scream
Who woke me, from my dream
I was riding on a magic jetstream
Made of purple and crimson beams
The infants screams do not cease
Poor child’s not at peace
Too young to comprehend why
There’s no bedtime lullaby
Mother’s glazed eyes look dry
Her love, caressing the baby’s cries
She’s loyally doing her best
For both, a tough journey, over this distant crest
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
The flight is dragging on
But I’m not overly stressed
Nor is my patience running thin
My mind’s drifting back in time
I remember those trying days
Spent with Carole, and the hospital bed
Waiting in emergency rooms
Hours and hours on end
Holding her hand, she wouldn’t let go
Once I sat with her for two days
In emergency, before a bed was available
I learnt about patience and how to wait
I discovered the realities of hospital life
I saw there was always someone worse
Who needed to be treated first
I knew their pain and tears shed
I knew how honest Hearts bled
Ivor Steven (c). 2019
Take-off and I’m soaring, in an iron dove
High in the clouds heaven is above
Jetting through the stratosphere
Strapped inside her belly, feeling no fear
My rocking shoes have found the aisle
An armchair ride, flying in style
Red wine, to calm my nerves
Delicious food, increase the curves
Hours and hours of humming sounds
I hear time echoing on the rebound
My clock is ticking backwards
My life’s shadows are travelling forwards
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Of course, I’ll pick a good Australian band, here I’ve chosen, ‘Augie March’, a lot of you might not have heard of them , from my state Victoria, and a country town called Shepparton. I love this song of theirs, ‘One Crowded Hour’, something like how I’m feeling as I’m heading in the one hour bus trip, to Melbourne airport, getting closer to take off… Yeah….
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Believe it, or not
I’m travelling around the block
Finally life is not too hot
And I’m not going to rot
Reality has me flying to New York
I’ve been invited to deliver a talk
A speech about spirit and life
The long journey of endless strife
And how, the answer was found
From inside a body unsound
Go listen to the Messiah
You’ll not get any higher
Go reach for your stars
Dream like a child going to mars
Go steer a new T-model car
Even Brooklyn Bridge isn’t too far
Go discover your Yorkie, a savour bike
Pedal your way to greater heights
Go explore, beyond your blade of grass
See the universe outside your heart of glass
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Dear readers and followers, thank you to everyone who diligently read my post, asking for help to choose 2 poems out of the 5 poems I had selected/presented. Your collective imput and help has been fantastic, give yourselves a big pat on the back. The poem ‘My Rainbow’ was by far the most popular, and easy for me to pick as my first submission. The second selection was a much closer affair, and with me as the author, having the deciding vote, the poem ‘Leafless Branches’ is my second submission. Again thank you all for your interest and involvement. I hope you all enjoyed the process as much as I did… Now it’s all up to the judges, to see if my two submissions are selected for the ‘Geelong Writers Anthology 2019’…..
Over mountains, over a distant sky
Blazing hues of African butterflies
Sparkling reflections of our last goodbyes
Did you see my yesterday rainbow
She’s ruby red, yellow and blue
The heavenly ring, in everyone’s view
Above you, a perfect archway
Behind you, a forever shining sun-ray
Around you, a golden halo everyday
There’s a warning sign swirling in my yard
Words are being splattered on my fence
Blown in by today’s gale
Leafless branches are flying around
Nature’s own, final count down
Suddenly, on the horizon, there’s a red-brown cloud
Rolling in, over the barren hills
And a dust-storm quickly engulfs the air
Racing silver clouds and blue sky
Invisible through the thick red haze
Dry topsoil from the western plains
Aerially transported by the wind’s angry throat
And there’s no calming the dusty tempest
Until mother nature has had her way
I stand here, leaning against her force
Feeling her violence, pitch dirt in my face
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Dear readers and followers, I’m in a conundrum. Below are five of my poems that I’ve choosen to submit for pubilication, in the 2019 Geelong Writers Annual Anthology. The problem for me, is that I’m only allowed, to submit TWO !!! Please help… if you wish to, chose “2” and mention them in your comment on this article…. I would gratefully accept any feedback… Thank you…. And Of course I have to do my submission before I leave for New York, on Wednesday 24th April.
*1 I Dream On Snippets
I’m living on snippets
A snip here, a piece there
I don’t watch TV news nor read newspapers
There’s no need to see more
False dreams don’t swim in my sea
And realities fill my soul with broken keys
I don’t watch many movies
I know their spirit’s are within me
And their ghosts live beyond what I see
I’m sipping on the holy grail
A thimble of wine
To a chalice of water
There’s no need to drink more
Rivers of tears have already flooded my heart
And clouds fill my soul with yesterdays rain
I’m eating snippets
A morsel here, a crumb from there
I don’t hunt for my groceries
There’s no need to eat more
Food magically lands on my plate
Delivered by angels who look after me
I’m breathing wisps of air
Gasping for my invisible share
Enough to activate my inner being
There’s no need to inhale more
The sky is infinite and free
And the trees air fills my lungs, regenerating me
*2 Leafless Branches
There’s a warning sign swirling in my yard
Words are being splattered on my fence
Blown in by today’s gale
Leafless branches are flying around
Nature’s own, final count down
Suddenly, on the horizon, there’s a red-brown cloud
Rolling in, over the barren hills
And a dust-storm quickly engulfs the air
Racing silver clouds and blue sky
Invisible through the thick red haze
Dry topsoil from the western plains
Aerially transported by the wind’s angry throat
And there’s no calming the dusty tempest
Until mother nature has had her way
I stand here, leaning against her force
Feeling her violence, pitch dirt in my face
Over mountains, into a distant sky
Blazing hues of African butterflies
Sparkling reflections of our last goodbyes
Did you see my yesterday rainbow
She’s ruby red, yellow and blue
The heavenly ring, in everyone’s view
Above you, a perfect archway
Behind you, a forever shining sun-ray
Around you, a golden halo everyday
Unknowingly, I often dream of her serene ashen face
Years ago, I gently held her frailty in my tired arms
Softly whispering to her, last words of love and grace
Don’t ask me why, I count the days, since I’ve missed her charms
I cannot give you a sensible nor plausible answer
Don’t ask my why, I count the weeks, since I lost my way
I’m unable to fathom the depths of my inner cancer
Don’t ask me why, I count the months, since she died that day
Because I’m still gradually recovering
Remembering she’ll never ever go away
And somehow, I’m steadily rediscovering
Knowing someday, I’ll be allowed to stay
My time’s feeling lost and unrequired
Yesterday, I was worn and tired
Today, I did reach for the sky
Tomorrow, I’ll give life another try
Yesterday, I hit the brick wall
Today, I jumped every puddle
Tomorrow, hurdles will be castles in the sand
Everyday, my unknown future lays in my hands
Every-week, my dream looks like potter’s clay
Today, I uncovered tomorrow is the next day
Tomorrow, is not my vision of times to come
Tomorrow, is the beginning of my shining sun
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 