Tit Bits #15

I’ve not written one these for a while, and I’ve enough of my comments stored in my NoteBook file to fill War And Peace !! Thank you to all of my dear readers who comment on my writings, I am forever grateful, and you all continue to inspire me to write these short poetry pieces about your marvelous posts.

 

I used to say, mum was the one

Dad was always there, daddy number one

Carole came along, she was my only one

They’re gone, I was left with no-one

Myself has become an intimate one

To you all, I cannot do without everyone

I love sharing my life

I love talking about my wife

Even though I’ve seen so much strife

She wouldn’t have it any other way

She graciously fought on, every day

My story will never explain her everlasting smile

My future is about trying, for her every mile

I know those old photo album feelings

Old memories and dusty dreams

Your heart does miss a beat

They’ll be tears at your feet

You’ll need a comfy seat

Bathe in the images, so sweet

Life’s rotation process is endless

Watermill wheels keep on turning

I’m writing on recycled paper

Word’s of purpose are not useless

Morning birds sing, but do not see

By day, I’ll look like a tree

Like a lonely Tawny Frog-mouth Owl

By night, hear my wisdom howl

Beware, there’s more

You’ll be shown the door

By the bolt of Thor

 

I’ve been inspired by my tour of yesterdays street art in Geelong, and the magnificent mural of Chrissy Amphlett, so here she is, singing with the Divinyls

 

Ivor Steven (2)  2018

 

 

Tunnel Echos

I’m lying here on the floor, prone again

Pining in vain

Listening to Leonard’s ballads again

Flooding my soul in rain

There’s happy dreams

And shattered dreams

All flying by

Passing under yesterday’s indoor sky

Here today, where’s tomorrow

Drifting through clouds of sorrow

 

My tunnel visions are echoing

Like rusty train wheels, loudly resonating

I’m my old verandah door, swinging

Badly hinged, my feelings are hanging

Knowing I’m a lonely alien widower

Untouchable, like a Hindu follower

Caresses by wandering hands, shunned and cropped

Wondering why my foreign heart suddenly stopped.

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

Today

Here is a dual Haiku I’ve written this morning, and if anyone knows what this sort of Haiku format is called, please let me know.

Today

I walk past today

Remembering yesterday

Gone is tomorrow

 

Today my earth blooms

Yesterday is forgotten

Tomorrow I weep

 

Ivor Steven (c)

 

Tullawalla And A Dragonfly

Weekly Prompt: Photo prompt for this week, Right Place Right Time

I’m presenting pictures here of “My Home”, and feeling incredibly fortunate, that I happened to be in the right place at the right time, two years ago, when I was lucky enough to find this little abode for sale. And on inspection I immediately feel in love with the place, knowing that this is where my soul could finally be at peace, and I came to engross myself in this writers haven that I had dreamt of, and knowing that it was now going to become a reality. Thank you to Linda, of Spiritual Dragonfly, for inspiring to do this post about “My Place”, and I hope all is well there for Linda over in Carolina, after coping with Hurricane Florence.

 

Above, my verandah area, my gallery, and where the old family home name, “Tullawalla” sign,  is now proudly on display.

 

Above, My fernery, my garden courtyard, and more of my verandah gallery.

 

Above. More of my gallery under the verandah, and my barbeque and my outdoor speakers, which are wired back to my computer sound system, I hope the neighbours appreciate my music choices

 

Above. My home, front view, window garden bed and my garage. The writers bedroom and studio/desk area, is where all the poems are written. And attached below a lovely song from Xavier Rudd… “Home”

Ivor Steven (c)  2018

 

 

 

 

 

It’ll Be Alright In The Long Run

I’m going to bed soon, I’ve been battling, fighting, struggling, with my computer all day, and finally, hopefully, that the cyber-space gods are with me, and that my computer might be going again in the morning. Time will tell, I’m sure “It’ll Be Alright In The Long Run”… Redgum. I hope you enjoy their song and lyrics

Redgum: The Long Run, – Lyrics

Oh You look out your window at the cold grey dawn
It’s seven o’clock on a Monday morning
Pour a cup of coffee, better make it a strong one
Weather man on the radio says
It’s going to rain and it’s going to blow
It’ll be all right, it’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
Australia marched out of Vietnam
Out on the streets against Uncle Sam,
We won the fight, it was a long one
Uranium demo the other day
One of my mates got dragged away
As they slammed the door I heard her say
It’ll be all right in the long run
Italian bloke who works with me
And we swap laughs and company
And he slapped me on the back
Said “Your wrong, son
This isn’t the land I was told it would be
It’s not so equal and not so free”
It’ll be all right, it’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
It’ll be all right, it’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
It’ll be all right, it’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
It’ll be all right, it’ll be all right

It’ll be all right in the long run
It’ll be all right, it’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
It’ll be all right, it’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
From the shadow of history a convict screams
The shearers curse, the people dream
We’ve taken some right turns
They’ve been the wrong ones
Troop ships leave and the headlines blaze
Australia remembers happier days
Faith lives on within the haze
It’ll be all right in the long run
So you sit in your camp and you stare at the fire
The doubts drop away as the hopes get higher
And you sing to yourself
It’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
And the sun gives ground to a long cold night
Screw your courage for another night
But you know in your heart
It’ll be all right
It’ll be all right in the long run
And the sun streams in with power and might
And you look at your kids in a different light
And you know in your heart as you kiss them goodnight
It’ll be all right in the long run

This song is from the album “Caught In The Act” and “Virgin Ground”.

 

Goodnight

Goodnight Carole, our Anniversary Day was a fine affair, and here’s a song for you, just a gorgeous Australian ballad, it’s 12.40am, time to rest our weary bones, listen to some pleasant music for our bedtime dreams, enjoy, I’ll see you later on…….

Redgum – So Goodbye Lyrics

I loved your home at Springfield

And your chauffer-drive Jag
But the afternoons at the yaucht squadron
Rally are a drag
Your country home at Aldgate
Your horses and your friends
The alcoholic sunsets, the pleasure never ends
I’ve just begun to notice the cold steel in your eyes
So I say to you goodbye
As she goes on asking why

I’ve spoken to your father he’s a self made millionaire
Do you know where his factories are?
Do you know who lives there?
In squashy little red-brick houses far away from here.
They’re ugly and they’re all the same
The neighbours live so near
The way my famliy’s living there you’d not believe your eyes
So I say to you goodbye
As she goes on asking why

Your brother’s learning how to drive the jag in your back yard
Your father sits and tells me about how he’s worked so hard
Your mother’s introducting me with patronising grace
To all her bridge friends in the salon, little cakes and lace
My mothers working nightshift now, she’s working till she dies
So I say to you goodbye, as she goes on asking why

Your fathers firm owns factories not far from where we stay
The chimneys spewing thick black smoke
Across the night and day
The people live and work down there underneath that cloud of smog
The kids’ backyards are small and bare, too small to keep a dog
Dont tell me that they like it there, thats certainly a lie
So I say to you goodbye
As she goes on asking why

Please dont cry, you’ll find a lover very soon I’m sure
A Gentleman who’ll bring you roses
And lay them at your door
It’s not because your rich but ’cause
Your not prepared to think
The higher daddy rises, the more his workers sink
You won’t wake up in time my lady
You wont realize
So I say to you goodbye
AS she goes on asking why
So I say goodbye.

Tullawalla: Booklet #5

Hello dear readers, friends, family and followers. Sorry I’ve not been around to all my fellow bloggers on WP, with my usual diligence and zest. I’ve been very busy preparing my new booklet of poems. And in honour of my dear Carole, on this our Anniversary Day (42nd), I’ve just finished the manuscript (Phew and yeah !!), and this one is called, “Tullawalla: “Home Is The Air I Breathe”, and of course along with the other 4 booklets, all money’s that I make from the sale of these booklets goes to the Geelong MS Charity Shop. The list of my 5 booklets is below. These booklets are all printed here in my little writing studio/haven, put together by hand, and they’re a foolscap size folder of 21 pages and 40 poems in each booklet

Tullawalla, Poems, By Ivor Steven                                                                                   Tullawalla, A Sign Of The Times                                                                                               Tullawalla, The Waves Say Goodbye                                                                                     Tullawalla, Who’s Left To Row The Boat

And, Tullawalla, Home Is The Air I Breathe

And I’m happy to say that I’ve now learnt how to print on both sides of the pages, thus halving my mailing costs for anyone interested in purchasing, for the price of postage and plus a donation for the MS shop. I have a PayPal account, to make payments easier.

Contents #5

Cheers

From Ivor xx