Heart-Work by Vivi Steels       

I was listening to a programme on the radio about Hypochondria and it reminded me of this poem I wrote called 'Hypochondriacal'.  When I was 28 I had a very nasty virus, which never cleared up and developed in to M.E. I also had severe symtoms of Endometriosis and an underactive thyroid.  I was constantly told by doctors I 'was imagining my symptoms', I was 'perfectly well', I 'looked so well', and was made to feel neurotic and a nuisance, though I knew something was wrong with me.&...

It seems a long, grey Winter with no release into Spring and today it is 9c with a strong wind from the North East with dark, glowering rain clouds and misty drizzle.  I am hoping this poem with bring about a change and that we will see Spring very soon.  Our hundred year old pear tree is not yet in blossom and usually is full of white fragrant flowers on my birthday at the beginning of April.

Spring Wedding

apple trees

shivering...

Winter

Ribbon of white leaves

whips from blanketed bush.

Winter blows last life into garden

where squirrel forages in evergreens,

magpie jumps up and down on deserted greenhouse,

ringed dove sips from mirrored birdbath,

hedge sparrow hops in between bowing plants

chased by belligerent blackbird,

white snow-feather flashing in his tail.

© Vivien Steels

Published in Earth Love – Issue 30 Feb 200...

My Tribute to My Lovely Sister, Alison read by me at her funeral on 24th October 2017

Alison was my lovely big older sister. When we were young she liked to look after me. She was always the well-behaved one & I was the naughty one. She did very well at school. When we moved to Woodthorpe in 1957, we attended Arno Vale Junior School and then Arnold High School where Alison became Head Girl. She also got a Duke of Edinburg...

My Fairy Garden

I have recently made a fairy garden in a wooden plant box, which sits on a window sill in my conservatory.  They are such fun to make. I am hoping to make a bigger one outside in our garden, though we have some very naughty squirrels, who I think would dig it up!!

Bilbo the Lifeguard Dog

I have just read Steve Jamieson's wonderful book ‘Bilbo the Lifeguard Dog’ (published by Pan Macmillan) and I am just recovering from being in floods of tears at the end. I felt so much for Steve, the former Head Lifeguard on Sennen Beach ...

Getting Older is...

caring for those before you,

caring for those after you.

Feeling needed, for meals,

for advice, for money,

so the slow drip of time,

wearing away your face

into that of your mother’s,

eases you onto the path

whereby you wear your skin

like an evening dress –

glittering with experience.

© Vivien Steels

Published in Reflections (Forward Poetry Anthology) ...

I have included this poem I wrote in 2002, because I was watching '50 Years of Gardeners' World Live' at the NEC Birmingham on television and there was a sequence about gardening through the decades, which my poem tried/tries to evoke.  It is illustrated with a picture I painted of a corner of our garden in early summer painted in watercolour, acrylic and pen and ink.

Spring Blossom

cherry blossom falls
filling sky with confetti
celebrating spring

© Vivien Steels
Published in WRITE-AWAY - Spring 2002

Illustrated with 'Spring Blossom' by Vivien Steels

Winter Forsythia

sky – grey cardboard

earth – frosted brown

trees – bare branches

grass – dank tangle

wind – ice shards

winter reigns

room – soft lights

windows – green leaves

fire – living flames

rug – sheep’s wool

vase – golde...

New Year's Moon

Moon ~

whole tablet of silver ~

wakes my bed,

draws me to a land outside,

and sprinkles my body

with pearl-light.

Crystal chips of stars

wink at me

while my body-warmth

rises like incense

into the half-lit sky

so blue, so vast;

an ocean of planets

dream-years away.

Climbing stairs back to sleep,

meeting warmth again on the landing,

I fall ba...

REVIEW FOR NEW POETRY BOOK

*Bees, Seas, Birds and Trees* by Vivien Steels

Review by Patricia Beeton

“I have just read your new book of poems ‘Bees, Seas, Birds and Trees’. What a lovely collection of poems they are. The poems are a pleasure to read. Your words show a heartfelt, philosophical understanding of all aspects of nature and human emotion. Reading yo...

This is the cover of my latest seventh collection of published nature-inspired poems with artwork, photographs and graphics. It can be bought via my Vivi*Press Poetry page on my 'Talking Paint' website @ http://www.talkingpaint.co.uk or get in touch via the Contact page of this website.

This is a larger view of the cover illustration for my new illustrated poetry book, 'Bees, Seas, Birds and Trees'.  It was painted from the kitchen window of our last house when I was recovering from an operation.  You can see I am looking through the ornaments/pots on the kitchen window sill and at the top is the blind with a cord hanging down through the painting.  F...

Into The Past

The Auckland Guest House green and cream

Set within my childhood dream,

Rope-swing falls from towering tree,

Lawn, coloured mallets, balls and croquet.

Miss Sammy, half-Persian, half-Siamese,

Loves a cuddle, loves strong cheese.

Bess, black Labrador with solemn face

Waddles in dining room from place to place

For titbits, gravy, crumbs of cake.

She waddles out still on the make.

My Semi-Suburban Country Childhood

Although I was brought up in a relatively new suburban area called Woodthorpe about four miles from the centre of Nottingham, I felt as if I lived in the country. The road in front of our house was a terracotta clay track with grassy verges and convenient humps – ideal when cycling or roller-skating – and there was a deep crater at the bottom of the road, which was euphemistically called ‘Coningsby Gardens East’* (...

Homewards

Twisted church spire watches

over brown ridged field

where snow, soft as fur,

nestles in furrows like leverets.

Ink black trees light up from behind

with gold/orange sunset.

Cold kisses my face

leaving rosy imprints.

The road, white with salty sheen,

sings under racing car,

speeding homewards

as day sinks under banks

of snow-swollen clouds.

© Vivien Steels

Publi...

Imogen Skirving, owner of Langar Hall Country House Hotel in Nottinghamshire, was killed recently while on holiday in Menorca.   Imogen was an absolutely special and wonderfully unique person, who made you feel special. She always made sure you were looked after at Langar Hall and was so interesting to talk with. Ian and I go every few weeks for Sunday Lunch at Langar Hall and we loved Imogen, her staff and the whole atmosphere created there. Nothing wa...

Swan Island

The corner turned,

turquoise water overhung

with soft, green willow

surrounds the April nest

barricaded with branches

to make an inner island

of safety for Easter eggs;

green-white and so large,

to be turned to perfection

at unusual angles.

We counted seven cygnets that year.

Grey-brown down,

flimsy yet watertight,

nibbled along with young weed,

riding under arch-ang...

Vermilion Tulips

each arrowhead

of vermilion tulips

aiming to fire scarlet

into the sharp grey sky

of spring deferred

© Vivien Steels

Illustrated...