Ivor Steven

This lifestyle, philosophical poem was written in November 2022 and returns to a moment of small, steady bravery. Inspired by a lone snail crossing the wet bitumen — slow, deliberate, and determined — it reflects on purpose, persistence, and the quiet journeys we all make. Steve the Snail. His StoryI wonder what the story wasWhy was Steve the Snail?Crossing the wet bitumen roadThere, by…

A quiet moment in the grass this morning — just me, my camera, and a lone mushroom in the light to guide me down memory lane — a soft umbrella for tired legs and fading recollections. This poem is the path I followed beneath its shelter. I don’t often do this, but before the poem, I’ve added a song that’s always offered me a quiet kind of shelter. Dylan’s Shelter from the Storm feels like the…

Nancy’s, Lai “Singed” challenged me to try the form myself. I’d never written a Lai before, but her poem inspired this first attempt — a small reply shaped from her spark.Nancy: Singed – The Elephant’s Trunk A traditional lai is a short French poetic form built on a pattern of nine lines, arranged in three stanzas. Each stanza follows this structure: Lines 1–2: 5 syllables, same end rhyme Line…

Feature Image Above: A pale, gold sun, a held breath, a path unfolding —and a quiet truth still finds its way through. Early yesterday morning, I read Gigi’s fierce and tender poem, and something in her words stirred an old ache of my own. What began as a quick response grew into this small reckoning — a quiet look at age, longing, and the goals that slip beyond our grasp. Gigi >> FYI… |…

This afternoon’s quiet wait at the café, with Violet’s poem still echoing in my thoughts, stirred a darker reflection beneath the softening sky. These images and lines emerged as the light shifted and the world felt both beautiful and fragile. Violet’s thoughtful little poem was the spark that set these lines in motion.Violet >> Nibbles | Thru Violet’s Lentz The Impending ImplosionCorruption…

I am extremely proud and humbled by the acceptance of four of my poems by the amazing Susi Bocks, Editor‑in‑Chief at The Short of It. They are “hot off the press” and released for publication today. A sky full of turning light — a fitting doorway into my four poems published today on The Short of It.>> Ivor Steven – I Write Her Jeremy Thomas – Unsplash.com Two quiet moments from my own walks —…

Penned in June 2020, now relaunched for Throwback Friday — a flight through memory and space, chasing love through the stars. Two glimpses of flight — the bird and the moon — guiding the way toward her celestial star.Lost In Space (Revised) I’m leaving this land of lost graceAnd flying off into spaceIt’s time to run awayMy aircraft, Itmims, is leaving today Love is a stowaway in the heartAnd…

Postcards and Poetry at the Old Courthouse Museum, Drysdale There was a lovely hum in the air last Sunday — the kind that only gathers when people arrive ready to listen, ready to be moved. The little courthouse filled quickly, every seat taken, every face turned toward the poets and the artifacts that inspired them. During the breaks, harpist Nin drifted gentle notes through the old timber…

In the soft morning blue, the half‑moon lingers as a gentle witness, watching the wattlebird rise into its own wide freedom. The Moon and the Wattlebird (a Tanka)Even the half moonSelflessly watches you flyToward the deep skyThere, within your winged freedomYou will never be alone Under the half‑moon’s gentle watch, wherever the flight leads, every journey carries a presence that walks beside…

Twilight’s Afterglow (a Haiku) It’s wet and windyBut there in twilight’s cold sky An afterglow winks

“In this place of darkness and malediction we can but stand in awe and remember its stateless, faceless and nameless victims. Close your eyes and look: endless nocturnal processions are converging here, and here it is always night. Here heaven and earth are on fire.” — Elie Wiesel A reminder that even in a world shadowed by sorrow, the night still offers its quieter lights — small, celestial…

Above the treeline, the day began with wings drifting toward the light. Brighter Than White (a Tanka) Quickly, follow meThrough the silhouetted cloudsI hear the wise crowHas found a hole in the skyWhere the light’s brighter than white The sky keeps its openings, and somewhere beyond the clouds, the light still waits, brighter than white.

Chocolates are delightfully delicious … wars are deadly and destructive …Above the valley, a white-feathered messenger rises — reminding us how fragile peace can be Yesterday we visited the Moorabool Valley Chocolate Café for coffee and cake, and the moment brought this poem back to me — a piece I wrote in August 2018, when a simple liquor chocolate stirred memories, questions, and the ache of a…