Heart-Work by Vivi Steels       

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...

Those Days ...

when the ward floor shone

like crystalline quartz

when beds had white envelope-

cornered sheets

when perfumed flowers grew

in tall glass vases

when hygiene and cleanliness

were taken to degree level

when bed sores were

unheard of

when nurses nursed patients

with love and compassion

when doctors came at

an...

THE CULT OF CRUELTY IN THE NHS

I have been reading for years about the way older patients are treated in the NHS. But I know this from first-hand.  About 6 years ago my mother spent nine months in hospitals and I feel the hospital system killed her. This is a condensed version of it.

My husband and I went to collect my lovely mother, who was 88. She had just had a minor operation to unblock some grafted veins in her legs. She was fine and really ...

I was so sorry to hear about the passing of Sir Terry Wogan. I listened to Wake-Up to Wogan from the very beginning. I was one of Terry’s young TYGS (Terry’s Young Girls and Geezers).  There were older TOGS – (Terry’s Old Gals & Geezers!!). I was called Vivi “Tyggy” Steels & emailed Terry & Pauly many times & had poems & emails read out. I have a WUTWAC (a Wake-Up to Wogan Alarm Clock) & a WUTW Sweat Shirt.  I ...

New Day

Crystal birdbath presages clear night –

stars in their right places

shining ladders of light to flowers,

closed until dawn

when dew washes

all dark away.

The day unfurling its leaves,

springs into the business of bees,

radiating a golden honey-glow,

filling the body with sweetness,

the spirit with hope

Christmastide

For you ~

May snow fall in soft clouds upon your field,

May stars sparkle in pearls of light across your sky,

May frost lace in patterns down your windows of crystal,

May moons glitter their silvered rays through curtains of dark,

May petalled roses of winter blossom in your whitened garden,

May shards of diamond ice necklace your house,

May doves of peace rest feathers upon your vaulted roof,

May angels alw...

Sadly my lovely little Shadow was put to sleep on Wednesday 23rd September 2015 at 5.15pm. He was 9 years and 3 months old and had developed hind leg paralysis, couldn't hold himself up and deteriorated rapidly. He is buried under a Garden Angel in the back garden in the back central border. I feel devastated and can't stop crying, but my dear friend, Annie, said I 'gave him a lifetime of care, comfort and love...

Sea Otter

Bands of amber kelp

anchor furred body

floating on back,

rafting against tug of tide

liquorice nose lifted,

small eyes closed,

as sunbathing under settled sky

meals from sea’s kitchen

gained on diving trips –

starfish, squid, crab, abalone –

are prepared

shell bashed against stone tool

'A little girl named Ferne goes on magical adventures with her best friend, Chocolate, her dark brown cat. The book contains five stories, one for each season of the year plus one for Christmas. On their travels Ferne and Chocolate meet some amazing characters – seagulls who sail a boat, a bad tempered camel, a pair of strange twins who can swim, a scree...