Papa made a fire today NaNa
Made it in your memory
Used your orange barrow small
To gather up the pine straw
There was no dancing round the kettle
And as the ashes began to
Settle
Pappa just let them fall at will
Pulled closer and tried to shake this Autumn chill.
I must get beyond
The well worn
Response to everything
And just accept it
For what it is
A compliment
And move on
Like the seven Hebrew
Words for praise
I cannot help it
If only one is used
It’s still Praise.
If I could have you
For just a day
I know
It’s cliche
And taboo to you
These are some symbols of
What we could do:
:
;
“
-
/
)
I truly think you’d
Wish it weren’t taboo
And it would last
Well into the night.
Chase it, and it ceases-
Chase it not, and it abides-
Overtake the Creases
In the Meadow- when the Wind
Runs his fingers thro’ it-
Deity will see to it
That You never do it-
Emily Dickinson
c.1862
Gulf Fritillary among the iron weed
John Clare Stokes
We envision ourselves forever with the young
The race we can still line up and run
And maybe some are given feet ever strong
Others, we are just grateful to limp home.
Little Shoals
Suwannee
Upon slipping on the slippery rocks and having to crawl up the bank and limp back to the vehicle
Hey hey goodbye
John Clare Stokes
Nada will you please put another forty-five on?
Spin Wooly Bully for our beau Johnny Cone!
How we loved our Friday night pajama parties,
Crying in the chapel with the birds and the bees.
Now you tell me mamma Bishop's with Desmond and Marc?
That just leaves you and PJ to spin Petula Clark!
Sock Hops at seventy Oh still soothe the soul,
Kind of a drag, but it's not unusual you know
We sure believed in magic from ole Roy Oribson,
Help! Where did our loves go?
I can't help this feeling we're
On the Eve of Destruction!
by john clare stokes
in the fallow fields of fall
there lies a long lost ball
kicked over the goal of old
when the uprights were two
and the boys I am told
were measured by feat
but tonight around the
trampled tiger head
we name the fallow field
after the one
who lost the ball
took to alcohol
sat beside the Madden
Super ones
and to Jesus late
did come
So future bums
who make it big
can gather round
the purple tiger
and aspire
to have a fallow field
named for them.
