Journey with John Stokes

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

When I survey

There seems lately precious little time

for just pausing and reflecting

Seems as soon as you settle down

Here comes that old male humming.

Today my brother called at a radio remote from Ocala and put an old high school friend on the line. Lewis asked me when was his birthday? I said December 25th. It was the 24th. He remembered mine on January 30th. Don’t think I could tell any other friends birthdays.

Though best friends, there came a day he went off to school in Sanford, then when he returned, a friend a grade up became his best friend, then the girl in the Trans Am and so to this day.

Ironical my girl today is in Williston at her mothers where we both grew up. So from afar I keep pace with my friend, a month older than ole forty.

Now if only we had Dixie Lily in common.

Ison’s

Grapes of my past

I came upon the old Ison’s catalog of my father and his order for the muscadine grapes:2-Dixie, 2-Noble, 2-Jumbo, 2-sugargate, 3-cowart, 1-pride, 1-chief, 1-southland. We set them out in Crawfordville in Wakulla County with railroad creosote posts and wires at three levels. We had two overhead arbors as well. For years we enjoyed the grapes, with enough for friends and neighbors to come and pick. When my father sold the place in 2001, it was eventually bulldozed for a subdivision. I

We never replanted when he moved to Williston.

Today, upon seeing Sandy Bird post, I went online to Ison’s Nursery in Brooks, Georgia and ordered a Dixie and a Fry. I may go back and order a Cowart as well.

So now I will ponder where to plant them when they ship in November.

Make the day

Johnclarestokes

There was the day

It did not take much

The days tomatoes ripe

The days Martins in flight

Three eggs laid

To make the day

Back porch of Pilgrims Rest

Crawfordville

Morning Run

Morning run

John Clare Stokes

Fog envelopes the narrow lane of sand

Foot-falls in unison go the thinclad

Silently swing the arms in unbroken pace

Ten feet astride in this syncretic place

Tense with slumbered patience, wait!

Watch for one to spring into a break

Unseen events in foggy Floridian sand

The inner aspiring in each breathless man

A five foot lead from the bunched pack

Pace increased to reel in the gap

In sprinted abandon a lean for a line

Spent on empty the ever ending time

What garland shall this victor today adorn?

What of the others dreams in sand born?

And so ends the morning run in sand

Oh with Joe and boys to run once again!

Tracks

Infinity and beyond

John Clare Stokes

What is it with me and train tracks?

I cannot cross one without the

strong urge to stop and just stare

way down until the two rails converge

I love seeing in the distance

what is crossing

the leap of the pulse to see

the beam of the distant train

approaching

There is a metaphor in there

somewhere

A lesson in eternity

But for now I better move on

The cars behind me are

not too attuned to

Infinity

Fighters

Seriously?

Once a fellow entered the

Colgate singing contest

He thought he was the best

When he returned third place

I told him he had the best

Third place voice I’d ever heard.

He wanted to fight me.

Seriously.

Once a fellow entered a

Photographic contest

He thought his photo the best

When he won not even an

Honorable mention

I said you’re the best non winning

Photographer I’ve ever known.

He wanted to fight me.

Seriously.

Once a girl put on a lovely dress

She thought her figure the best

When she got not one whistle

on the street

I said, go figure

It kept me out of a fight

Seriously.

Moral of the story

Don’t take things so serious.

And don’t go about

Wanting to fight.

Seriously.

Smokehouse

I’ll not linger on upon a past gone

People today are into moving on

to the next best latest thing to find

All in hopes of somehow remaining

Here for just a little while longer

Yet find me somehow out of step

That all these memories I’ve kept

I visit them in a youth they shall pine

But never find

For the smoke from the sand

Cures not only the meat

But this man

In search of

In search of Jungle Jim

John Clare Stokes

I my journey about the countryside

My eyes are always seeking him

Some days the swing is still moving

Into the jungle he’s gone to hide.

Swinger

John Clare Stokes

The old man cannot tell you

How long he’s been a swinger

Clearly recalling the little towhead

Soaring above ole Sopchoppy

Toes dangling over Flowing well

The chickens below in the yard

Scurry beneath Mr Rudd's barn

Thinking him a marshy hawk

As he swoops in low

Honey bees greet him

On their way to Georges hives

Bearing Tupelo pollen packs

Offering him a sweet taste

But he must make haste

Up from thick Bradwell bay

The ole black bear glares

He dares not swing his way

He and panther want him

In the church house nest

The purple martins are circling

In a frenzy of mosquito catching

Proud of their fledglings

And on he swings determined

Making his way past Boam Bluff

Through Buckhorn to Panacea

To see the source of his landing

The pure white Mashes Sands

Swing, swing my little jumpy

The skies are full of wonder

There shall never be a better

Back yonder

As he lands ever so gracefully

Perfect soft touchdown upon sand

Daddy, watch me do it all over again!

Wonder Pony

John Clare Stokes

Since he was but the age of two,

It was for the gals he rode the bronco.

Beyond the eight he took a few,

the springs too strong on Wonder Pony.

And he would painfully climb back on,

Waving the buckaroo hat wildly,

Another Phaeton yipping at the sun,

To the cheering of the buffalo gals.

Such was the true grit of his love,

That well into his sixties he'd mark out,

Cinch the bronc reign about the glove,

Nod to the gateman for a lot of try,

Just for a chance to dance

By the light of the moon.

Dixie Lily

Lily Yellow

John Clare Stokes

To the tune of Donovans Mellow Yellow

it just comes with saffron

saffron's good for me

it just comes with saffron

saffron's good for me

They call it Dixie Lily

(Yellow Rice)

They call it Dixie Lily

(Yellow Rice)

it just takes about fourteen

fourteen minutes to cook

it just takes about fourteen

Enriched dinner for me

They call it Dixie Lily

(Yellow Rice)

They call it Dixie Lily

(Yellow Rice)

Electrical appliances

I'm gonna set out the plates

Electrical appliances

You just gonna have to wait

They call it Dixie Lily

(Yellow Rice)

They call it Dixie Lily

(Yellow Rice)

Saffron added, yeah

I'm just mad about it

I'm just mad about Saffron

Enriched dinner for me

Oh so yellow

For this fellow.