Current’s Magazine

 

Clock keeper

 Clock Keeper

john cla55

this is just a friendly warning

in case you suddenly hear

a horn sounding

be kind to those less than you

help those below you

you have always been a starter

consider those on the bench

not having any moments

of glory

of scoring

of playing first string

just a warning

your time is coming

to sit the bench

to let the lesser in the game

for up in the booth

there now sits Bruce 

they said the meek shall

inherit the horn

and so he has

and he guards that horn

faithfully

and he will quickly sound it

if he see's you out there

ball hogging

fouling

taking all the glory

its now not about the winning

its now all about the loving

and the caring

and the hugging

and the humility

and the recognizing

those upon the bench

just a friendly warning....

Through the play door

 and in that far,far gone day    as we outgrew our trikes  we settled in our chairs by evening light   to rise and enter the pretend door to play

Almost thorough dead

 Almost Thorough dead

Leaving Williston on Robert Philpot Way(CR316) heading for Frogs BBQ when suddenly a thoroughbred runs into our path. Fortunately for my slow, always looking around for scenery, I saw him coming. The impatient car behind me didn’t and almost rear ended us and the horse. He sped on around angrily. Melanie and I pulled over and as she held the open gate, trying to keep the other horse in, I finally herded back the beautiful horse wanting to visit his horse neighbors across from their field. 

Ironically, this was near the Neals place on 27 where Melanie’s sisters horse once got out via a deliberately cut fence and was hit and killed.

Verbenadale

 Verbenadale

On our way taking Linda back to Bronson, we drove down the lane to the Verbenadale Church. It’s still valiantly standing, though barely. It’s forever a sad reality that places once so dear are allowed to fall.

In my dreamland world, places like Verbenadale are lovingly restored and cherished for future worshipers.

Frogs

 Frogs

I pinned to the the Frogs Wall. Frogs we had tonight. I asked for the original sauce, which is mild. It needed more saturation into the bun, but still, my favorite pork BBQ sandwich of all I’ve tried.

Top of hill

 Top of the hill

The current iteration of Williston’s Top of the Hill will never match my Iteration from the 70’s, Holiday Inn in her glory, JN’s convenience store with the pin ball machines and honey bun lunches, no Peso’s, the once a gas station then a location for Friday night after Red Devil football dances, FFA with Ferris and KFC galore bought home by my sister.

Lanes

 Left Lane 

Right Lane 

I cannot begin to tell of the travels to the right, the trips to the left, the times straight ahead. Like most of our little towns, they’ve seen their better days, when trains stopped you going right, when few speeding through slowed you heading left, when straight ahead took you slower still straight into farmland tranquil. The old landmarks are rapidly coming to an end, improvements in places, others, eye sores still, but in the end, we the well traveled will always overlay our way, with a wave to those dining at the Chick Inn, gasoline at the Carse Oil, shopping for dungarees at  the Lewis Dry good, crossing for bargains at the Priests five and dime, withdrawing savings from Perkins, groceries with Germaine, nailing it at Ross Hardware, purchasing land from Perry, and on and on, til home, a right and then always a left.

Impression

 Impression

john clare

The copper plate was cranked through the roller press

The thick paper absorbed the ink from the acid etched lines

Lifting the print an embossed impression was left

The plate re-inked and pressed through another time

After the two artist's proofs

van Riin made his limited edition

Ten impressions from the lines so delicate

Each successive run of press the lines fading

He then destroyed the precious plate

Leaving ten gem-like masterpieces. 

Forgotten van Riin later died and was buried in an

unmarked grave

Broke, the contents of the artist sold at auction

The prints were sold for a few guilders

Priceless today...

Impressions made at first

are not always what they seem.

Go far

 Go far

John Clare Stokes

I knew you’d go far

The moment I laid 

Eyes upon you

Determined to go

So far

That I’d never hear

From you

Ever again

Don’t get me wrong

Traveling is grand

But did you have

To go

That far?

The gauntlet

 She came from the library having picked up her non winning entry. There is always the reflection upon your entry, what could I have entered. I’ve been there many times. This time I took first place in photography so my thoughts for once were not so. 

The pause of tides