Every bend

Every bend
every stroke
transcends
every yoke
every care
every tear
every cry
every fear
every plea
every promise
every miss
every time
for ever more
Ichetucknee

The Pine Aisle

It was just expected
that some time in life
you would travel the pine wood aisle
either willing
on splintered knee
or with stiff back
carried by four repiners
in a pine wood box

This photograph is of the Falling Creek Methodist Church from years ago, updated with HRD and saturation.

Horse Fly

The mad swish of the tail
The silent lighting upon the head
Those without a coat of maille
Shrivel up from being bled
Been known to make a grown steed stampede
Running amock through titi and bramble
Mad as a she Coon treed
A once well-ordered stroll all a shamble.

Today upon Facebook, again I did not make myself clear and again this friend lambasted me, calling it rude. I am not sure sometimes where this fellow is coming from, in that he does not get my underhanded humor, which to him seems rude.
I went on to write to Melissa of calling what I do Kayfabe(pronounced Kerferb), a professional wrestling term seen as a suspension of disbelief to create in wrestling feuds, angles and gimmicks, in a manner similiar to other forms of fictional entertainment.
A wrestler breaking Kayfabe during a show would be likened to an actor breaking character on camera. And, since wrestling is performed in front of a live audience, whose interaction with the show is crucial to the show's success, one may compare kayfabe to the fourth wall, since there is hardly any conventional fourth wall to begin with.
Thus, you have the wrestling fan who cannot see this and actually believes that what he is seeing is real. I had a friend like that, Paul Christie, who got into the ring with a wrestler and got his leg broken. That break was real, though the wrestling was fake.
So I suppose, instead of John Clare, I should call myself John Flair, patterning myself after the Nature Boy, Ric Flair of wrestling fame.

Dick Alexander's Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restless Wrestler

to the memory of Richard 'Dick' Alexander
August 19, 1941
July 26, 2013
and
Melissa Eatman Neal
December 11, 1969
December 14, 2012

Restless Wrestler
by john clare stokes

The mat was never the only thing
One pin fall in '58 from taking it all
The Restless Wrestler paid his dues
and took flight over the
Seven Mountains
to parts unknown
following friends in a signature move
laughing with his entire being
just a cuddly Nittany cub
bear hugging
not really intending
to draw blood
in search of some fun
And here he would come
Over the Sand Hole ridge
around the Spruce
with Pleiades above guiding
speeding through the Long climb
to the cold Broad at
two-thousand feet
with a view of the
Pennsylvania valley
from Milligan's Knob
the Restless Wrestler made
the Sand peak about dawn
seeing the first rays from the
Bald summit
never looking back
the '99 Porsche Boxster purring
toward the warmth of Florida
to the friends waiting
far from the pain of Sandusky
and the good memory of Paterno
to sweet Melissa with her tender care
the closest companion
the Restless Wrestler ever knew
before the dark match came
the fight of his life
his old signature five moves of doom
not helping one bit
the faithful stage grip
not giving in
a main event guy he was
the junior contender facing
bravely the Lumberjack
no complaints or foul calls
the monster heel taking advantage of
the Restless Wrestler with the
ring rust
the slow burn of time from the mat
taking its toll
As in the end
the Restless Wrestler wasn't defeated
he only took a visual fall
took the pin willingly
wanting more than anything
to end this match
to speed again over those
Seven Mountains
his valet Melissa waiting
in the wings beside him
towel in hand
top down
perfect chemistry
the Pleiades guiding them
through the heights
to friends
the sound of deep laughter
echoing over the
Seven Mountains
the tag team
speeding toward
parts unknown
and warm.

For Joann

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among the streams

Men Improve with the Years
by W.B.Yeats

I am worn out with dreams;
A weather-worn, marble triton
Among the streams;
And all day long I look
Upon this lady's beauty
As though I had found in a book
A pictured beauty,
Pleased to have filled the eyes
Or the discerning ears,
Delighted to be but wise,
For men improve with the years;
And yet, and yet,
Is this my dream; or the truth?
O would that we had met
When I had my burning youth!
But I grow old among dreams,
A weather-worn, marble triton
Among the streams.

Stonehenge of the Suwannee

When the river was low below Cone Bridge, these interesting rock formations were revealed. They look as if they were sculpted, as they were attached to the rock.

Whitetail Retreating

Three photographs were taken before the Whitetail disappeared into the deeper woods. Always have your camera out and ready. Camera's in waterproof Pelican cases may be safe from a spill, but you will miss many shots getting it out.

Whitetail watching

While quietly floating in the lagoon on Alligator Lake, I hoped to either see turkey or deer, which I often do in the morning. I was not disappointed as I spotted this well-hidden doe in plain view. I lowered the double-blade paddle and slowly lifted the camera for about two shots before she moved deeper into the hammock.
One of those photographs where you would not see the deer upon first glance.

Two Gone

Melissa, Melanie's sister died unexpectely in December of 2012. Then, in March of this year, Amber and Landon ceased all communication with any family, leaving us without Nathaniel our only grandson.
We have yet to recover from either loss.

That lyin' smile

If we could have read....that deceptive smile...the cunning behind those eyes...to take Nathaniel and Landon away...but perhaps we did...we just never dreamed....it would actually happen...