Journey with John Stokes

Friday, March 27, 2026

Writing tree

The writing tree by the Suwannee

This place I traced

And knew words were being written

For the branch was using tannic water

dipping and sending

to those downstream reading

Not home

We went from tree to tree

Knocking

Searching for Him

Surely He would be in

Sadly nothing but the

Hollow ringing

Echoing deeply in

We will keep

Searching

Little Slayer

Friday Anthology

John Clare Stokes

it was the yard that took it hard

the sweet gum scars were healing

slash pines rosin no longer oozing

jagged axe marks marking the spot

about two feet above the ground

the lilies were again daring to come around

wiser this year from the beating

they took from the yellow shovel

the swing sighed from the stillness

wishing wistfully for some silliness

sky was trying to paint last years blue

it just couldn't seem to get the proper hue

sand pile struck out from the box

spread all about the one acre lot

once scattered never to return

for the castle roads and rivers yearned

even the caterpillars missed the little slayer

upon the asphalt being pillared

yards deserve better than this

yards little lads should never have to miss.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Palm Sunday

Largely lost upon us

I hesitate to say I miss the pageantry

For some would say

It’s ritual and frivolity

Come and sit

March Art

John Clare Stokes

Wasn't it good

To again see the

first Lily to bloom

Soon the ones

You grew will

Come too and

I shall show you

What we look

Forward to now

How good it is

Just to sit

In March to

Welcome back

The Lily and

The hummers

Before the sweat

of summer

While the greens

Are bright

The Blues in

Such contrast

Against

So many things

I know not their

Names come

And we just sit

And watch.

Old Homewood

Watercolor

Fathers Home place

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Come ye staid daughters of Kentucky, its time around the blue to rally, we have vanquished the undefeated, now we face the Cardinal hated, led by the pitiful little Ricky, treating our fair ladies terribly, from Paducah to Paris to Pikeville come, heed the clarion call of old Caewood, Cals freshmen are maturing, come ye sons of Kentucky late, Wolverines we want in the final eight.

Onward

Onward Christian artists

Hanging is your chore

With the frame of Jesus

Sitting on the floor

Christ the class project

For the would be Gogh’s

Forward, little to the left

See the painting tilt

Onward Christian artists

Find a stronger nail

With the broken Jesus

How the artists failed

Come Rupp

The Rupture and the

thousand win reign

Johnclarestokes

Up on Pine Mountain

The fires were burning

Down in Pikeville

The snake handlers

were saying

The Rattlers are

Prophesying

The soon return

Of the Baron

The moon above is blue

Louisville we no longer dread

Cal’s one and done done

For years the Sheppard’s return

It's a welcome ACC dread

Coach K is yet crying

St John Pitino is sighing why

Did I not stay

To see Rupp Returning

To send to reprobation

Texas Western

Chris Laettner

To see the banners hanging again!

Even so

Come Rupp

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Roger out

March 22nd is to the memory of Roger Sessler, on his birthday. Here Roger is in the trademark home made yellow jersey in the 2002 Horsefarm 100. We miss our friend.