Opening a Can of Flammable Worms. A ‘Gogyohka’
Anger ignites smoldering flames
A white-man’s racist hatred to blame
The volatile reaction follows
Requiring a King’s pacifying halo
Not a cane, you stupid man
Gogyohka, (pronounced go-gee-yoh–kuh), was created by Enta Kusakabe in Japan. It is a “five-line poem” or “song” with no no fixed syllable pattern. It can be written on any subject and use of ordinary, simple language is encouraged.
Ivor Steven (c) May 2020
This is a poem I wrote for last year’s “National Reconciliation Week”…. and I’m pleased to re-post the words on my site again, during this important week….
Birds Of A Feather
to colour us all tanned
black or white
didn’t seem right
even a humorous sight
maybe blue and green
would’ve been a better blight
and I’ve been told orange
is a preferred skin tone
best we have more colours
I’ll go buy the paint drums
toss them together
shaken, not stirred
into one huge cocktail dish
and use a whale-hair paint brush
we’ll all be covered the same
a faded colour purple
like tarnished rain clouds
not too dark
not too proud
not too white
just bright enough
to see the light
I wonder what has changed since this song was recorded “50 Years” ago….. ??
Ivor Steven (c) June 2020
Death is not our fault
Lets blame others for our shame
Scapegoats are great bait
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Please Note: The featured image above, is called ‘Four Birds’, by an Australian artist, Patsy Anguburra Lulpunda, at the Aboriginal Art Gallery
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Ivor Steven (c) May 2020.
What a difference
Twenty four hours makes
I’m back, on this other side
Of the world
I woke up dreaming
In the southern hemisphere
Feeling inside out
And upside down
I’ve gone from a warm evening
To a freezing morning
I’ve travelled in time
And I’m struggling to find my rhyme
I left my new family behind
All so generous and kind
There’s many stories to be written
About that friendly new kitchen
Now I’m having breakfast alone
But here I am, home sweet home
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
It’s Time To Leave
It’s time to tidy up my mess
Clean up the room and get dressed
It’s time to pack my suitcase
Fill the travel bag and vacate this place
It’s time to put on my famous rocker shoes
And walk away from this dream come true
It’s time to say heartfelt goodbyes
To these wonderful Philadelphia guys
It’s time for final hugs and kisses
Sad farewells and best wishes
It’s time for my usual emotional tears
Separate myself from these every day cheers
It’s time to flyaway from a land of Dragons and fairies
Leave this magical world of faraway families
It’s time to say a million thank you’s
For making my stay a Really Real great do
It’s time for me to travel back home
With glorious memories of this mystical thunderdome
Ivor Steven (c) May 2019
Have We Learnt. A Haiku
Are we hand in hand
With hearts joined, ready to start
A new wisdom age
Ivor Steven (c) May 2020
Dear readers and followers, here’s a great opportunity for your writings to be read by other writers, and also to find and meet other writers. You are very welcome to participate, come along and visit our writer friendly site…..
Welcome to Promote Yourself Monday. All Go Dog Go Cafe community members are invited to post one link to one specific piece of their writing (600 words or less please!) they have published on their blog, Facebook page, or Instagram feed into the comments section below.
Dear readers, over the previous 8 days, I hope you have been enjoying my poems about my wonderful trip to New York, Philadelphia and Bensalem, from a year ago. … Meeting my dear niece Kerri was a dream come, and this is the poem I wrote for her…..
Love United, Under Distant Skies (For Kerri)
Through the mist of my tears
I saw droplets run down her cheeks
Our moist eyes met
And I kissed her on the lips
With love, from my softened soul
I felt the depth of her inner strength
Radiate from within her petite body.
Now, finally we have embraced
And encountered our forever dreams
The bells of respect clearly chimed
Ringing joyful tunes, and our duets were living proof
That our hearts were lovingly entwined
Under alien stars, and united by our distant skies
A forever circle of love. even when I’m sleeping
Ivor Steven (c) May 2019
On “Weekly Prompts” their weekend challenge is: Story. Please go and visit their fabulous site by clicking >>HERE…. And below I’m continuing my “Story” about my trip to Philadelphia in May last year, via a collection of my poems and haiku’s …
Wet Flowers of May
Philadelphia rain
Like a rattling freight train
Wet fat drops
That didn’t stop
Watering flowers on mother’s day
Sharing the liquid joy of May
Haiku: Family History
Boxes of photos
Memory lane in my hands
Decades of stories
The Golden Pot
I’ve travelled to the end
Of yesterday’s rainbow
I found the golden pot was full
Full of warm hearts
The pot of hearts was overflowing
With ladles full of kindness
And their kindness was a cascading
River of magical rainbows
Haiku: We Lost The Sea
Bridges of dreams crossed
The ocean and river spanned
Waters of love found
Ivor Steven (c) May 2019
On this weekend, a year ago, I was in the 4th week of my stay with my cousins in Philadelphia…. and I think my body was living on adrenaline……
A Tune Of Success
I’m sleeping in today
As I awake to a rainy Sunday
Cloudy, fat drops of grey
My body needs a rest
As a happy heart, pounds in my chest
Quietly, my soul beats a tune of success
I’m living in a hive of honey and bees
Covered by flowers and hugging trees
Once an injured mystery bird, now set free
Ivor Steven (c) 2019
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 