Category: Peace

Grandma’s Hands

I wonder what mum and grandma are thinking

Mum was born after the First World War

A child of the roaring twenties

Then she became a poor teenager, of the great depression

And a young nurse, during the horror’s of a second World War

A time when everyone’s supplies were rationed

 

Everyone helped each other, when things run out

Everyone knew a son, that been killed in the war

Everyone gave you a soft shoulder to lean on

Everyone shared each others pain

Our parents and grandparents survived

And taught us compassion, and the value of every single life

 

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Boy In A Bubble

I’m living inside my bubble of air and sea

But my shadow is drifting away from me

A distant silhouette beyond my arms reach

Now I’m an isolated sand-grain off yesterday’s beach

 

I’m walking alone and free in today’s daydream

Thinking of life, crossing-over to be with my honey and cream*

This commonwealth of man has isolated the birds and bees

Now I’m hoping to hug this dark forest’s future trees

 

honey and cream* >> https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2018/10/28/cream-and-honey-2/

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

One Motherland

Hello dear readers, this is my follow-up poem, on the back of my pictorial article about our Geelong’s “Pako Festa” on Saturday >>https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2020/03/02/the-communities-leap-of-faith-pako-festa-geelong/    My poem here was inspire by this glorious multicultural event, which was both awe-inspiring and at times emotionally teary for me….. Hopefully my words explain my thoughts as the parade passed by me….. And as usual I’ve attached a song, but this is not any song….. it’s a piece I’ve had on my playlist for a while….. a very emotional song by ‘Natalie Merchant’, … please listen if you have time, and you’ll understand how my poem is strongly connected to her song ‘Motherland’…… By coincidence, I remembered “Natalie Merchant’s” song when I began searching YouTube for a suitable piece of music to go with my poem……and for your further enjoyment, I’ve also attached her superb lyrics below…….

 

One Motherland

 

I’m standing here watching

 

a parade of nations

passing in front of me

people from far away lands

walking hand in hand

in harmony

one big family

beyond their first moorings

recalling their ocean crossings

 

I’m standing here wondering

 

what drove them here

to leave their homeland

cross a line in the sand

and live in this distant world

on an ancient island

to live as one

under the same sun

cradled by one Motherland

 

I’m standing here crying

 

thinking about pointless wars

knowing children are dying

there’s too much hatred

life is so sacred

we are all related

living under One hand

all on one Motherland

we are merely a mite of dust

searching for love and trust

cradled by one Motherland

 

 

Motherland, lyrics by Natalie Merchant

Where in hell can you go
Far from the things that you know
Far from the sprawl of concrete
That keeps crawling its way
About 1,000 miles a day?

Take one last look behind
Commit this to memory and mind
Don’t miss this wasteland, this terrible place
When you leave
Keep your heart off your sleeve

Motherland cradle me
Close my eyes
Lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe
Lie with me
Stay beside me
Don’t go, don’t you go

O, my five & dime queen
Tell me what have you seen?
The lust and the avarice
The bottomless, the cavernous greed
Is that what you see?

Motherland cradle me
Close my eyes
Lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe
Lie with me
Stay beside me
Don’t go

It’s your happiness I want most of all
And for that I’d do anything at all, o mercy me!
If you want the best of it or the most of all
If there’s anything I can do at all

Now come on shot gun bride
What makes me envy your life?
Faceless, nameless, innocent, blameless and free,
What’s that like to be?

Motherland cradle me
Close my eyes
Lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe
Lie with me
Stay beside me
Don’t go, don’t you go

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

Almost There

Almost There

 

So I Say Hello to you

I turned away from you

After almost six weeks

Of this harrowing streak

It’s been no stroll in the park

Resting here in the semi dark

The painful knives have been withdrawn

The headaches have almost retired

I’m almost well enough

To enjoy Christmas with family

And by the start of two thousand and twenty

I’ll be almost here, I’ll be almost me again

So I say hello to you

And wish you a happy and healthy festive season

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Dec 2019

A Cheery Santa

A Cheery Santa

 

The season of merry cheer is here

There’s always many Christmas parties

They seem to begin weeks before

Yesterday Santa was at the Valhalla Bar

Ho ho, he was big happy Santa

With a sackful of gifts for everyone

I’m one of the oldest children there

I know he’s not really real

As I had a beer with him 10 minutes before

Yes, big friendly Reg, became Santa

For me, a stubbie holder and a T-shirt

Even a can of Valhalla beer

And Santa Reg joined me for more frothy cheer

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Dec 2019

People Ain’t No Good

 

 

People Ain’t No Good

 

We don’t need humans

Look at us, standing tall and proud

Why do you pollute our sky?

Why do you stain our land?

 

We don’t need human’s

Look at us. walk and fly

Why do you catch and cage us?

Why do you shoot us and make our babies cry?

 

We don’t need human’s

Look at us, swim and dive

We don’t need human’s

Look at us, eye to eye, and don’t lie

Why do you poison our earth’s waters?

Why are you committing suicide?

 

Ivor Steven (c)  Dec 2019