John Stetson
John Stetson Poems
The brindled drop tine bull
Brings his herd along the fence
He steers the steers and leers at me
His look not quite intense
...
I did not sing today.
I walked long,
But there was no song
As I went about my way.
...
Buddy Blue visits, of an afternoon.
He flits from picket to picket
before darting to the blade.
To snack?
...
Are we huggin' or bumpin' or shakin'
There's a pox on me if I'm mistakin'
I don't want to leave you there quakin'
If we're huggin' or bumpin' or shakin', huggin' or bumpin' or shakin'
...
Well…
We headed to the corner store for more
Of what we thought we needed more
Of what we thought we needed for
...
History Rhymes John W. Stetson
05/30/20
O, but that the Master Poet would grant this rhyming couplet.
...
The first shot's not conclusive so the second shot it sought
But the second is elusive not conducive so you plot
When the second shot is rendered you've surrendered caution's lot
...
The Celestial Choir
for Stuart Burns
The celestial choir swelled in 2020,
...
Let's Wait Til We Can Hug
for David LaMotte
It's been too long
I haven't seen you since I can't remember when
...
08/30/21 07: 29
Be attitudes and platitudes, expressions of great gratitude
The mindset of the moment can promote such pleasing attitudes
...
If discipline be righteous let me stray but for a while
And beg the Fates indulgence on the morrow
For surely cruel as fate can be
There's kindness in the breast for he that
...
O, the language of caves is silence.
It's a tongue that everyone knows.
Cause when the soul's empty, a shout can't get out
Of the Cave of Winds That Can't Blow.
...
Song for an estranged daughter 02/04/14 13: 10
The lone wolf is a myth we see because we want to see it
The island is a mystery because we want to be it
...
Poetry society meeting exercise 05/08/08
In the small town up the road from the farm where I grew up,
the library was in the town hall,
...
It’s Christmas. I’m late! 12/29/04
What Ho! It’s Christmas and time to regale.
We gather together with gifts from the Sale!
...
I gave what I thought was a gift, still it remains unacknowledged.
It might have started a rift, but I left it unfollowed.
But not all the wisdom of age is sage, some is sanguine.
Not all perspective has merit, some should suffer abandon.
...
I would like to be remembered for something I don't remember
For something so innate to me that it blended seamlessly
Stitching that which my soul could not distinguish from the Universe
And my Loves thought universal… and unique
...
The Best Poem Of John Stetson
The Drop Tine Bull
The brindled drop tine bull
Brings his herd along the fence
He steers the steers and leers at me
His look not quite intense
We ponder life, each his own strife, this old cow boy and me
He clears the gate with one old cow
They amble past the here and now
And take me back to the creek by the woods
And the hedgerow post pile by the birthday tree
And the chicken coop and my first chores
The mem'ries flood
To the water tank and the crawdads there
In Holstine's pasture, way in the back
Not far from a line of walnut trees
Black and tall against the breeze
Each straight as a sentry at his post
Who walked this land
Bow, rifle, plow in hand
It connects me to the land my feet
Negotiate in the autumn heat
I've drifted south, as things seem to go
Yet somehow in my soul I know
I'm tied to the land in a way not seen
By those whose mem'ries aren't so keen
For the ground they trod when their feet were bare
But my mem'rie's warm… and it takes me there
John Stetson Comments
John Stetson Quotes
Impaled on the horns of a polled dilemma.
Introspection into retrospect, putting one's hindsight foremost.
No one can consider themselves truly mature, until they take genuine pleasure in the good fortune of others.
Nothing stings more than the truth you refuse to recognize.
Rules are like fools, it takes a wise man not to abuse them.
Resistant assistance is customer disservice. It comes from the sales prevention department.
Those with the least to protect have the biggest dogs.
Too easy clever, too late smart.
False humility is the cheapest conceit.
If politics makes strange bedfellows, their offspring is borne of hypocrisy.
Breaks there a dream as sad as that of "might have beens", that wakes the morning bright and beautiful, and spends the day in sleep that never ends.
Counting on the well-rounded edge of complacency
Standing corrected is often the best stance.
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing", and a little power more so.
I always have half a dozen projects going at any given time. That increases the likelihood that none of them will be completed, thereby staving off the inevitable disappointment.
I've never accepted the common notion that you must be crazy if you talk to yourself. Most of the time, I'm the only one who will listen to me.
It's easy to be humble in the wake of success, hard to be gracious in the face of defeat.
It's much easier to perpetuate a comfortable lie than to accept a bitter truth.
A con man has public flower face to face, private odor afoot.
If foolish inconsistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, it surely must follow that foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little imagination.
If a man has not discovered something he will die for, he is not fit to live.
Anybody who loves a lie, whether one of commission or omission, is no better than the liar.
One size fits all rules seldom do. And they almost always give us fits.
True empathy is impossible without the recognition and acceptance of one's own vulnerability.
The difference between poetry and prose is space. The difference between prose and prayer is faith.
The creative work/life analogy. Some seeds don't implant. Some don't germinate. Some auto-abort. Some are clearly miscarriages. And a few actually see the light and breathe. And, quite a few need to spanked into taking that first breath.
You waste all your youth trying to get away from home and spend the rest of your life trying to get back there.
Any three words from Shakespeare make mine a flickering candle in the face of the sun.
When politicians play doctor, the society's character is stained.
Only a fool labors under the misconception that he has no limitations.
Insight borne of experience is much more likely to be universally applicable than insight borne of intellect.
We use words until they use us, never noticing when they become despotic. 03/28/22
When people of little character gain great influence we all lose. 08: 16 02/01/23
Only a fool labors under the misconception that he has no limitations.
Somebody with that strong an appetite for lies is not likely to be satisfied with a diet of truth.
If foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, devious inconsistency must surely be the pernicious gremlin of foolish minds.
Hindsight's 20/20. Don't confuse it with insight.
Write your eulogy with your behavior. Do not leave your legacy to chance or opportunity. But, rather, make intentionality your watchword, and integrity your standard. Be the change you want to see… in yourself. Take pride in your accomplishment. Don't disparage it as your failure.
'When 'I love you' is a statement not an answer to a question, you'll know you've found the peace that's been waiting for the truth.'
'When 'I love you' is a statement not an answer to a question, you'll know you've found the peace that's been waiting for the truth.'
Your sanctimony is getting in the way of your sanctity.
I always have 8 or 10 things in the works at any one time because that decreases the likelihood of finishing any of them, thereby avoiding the inevitable disappointment.
Mutual exclusivity is the hobgoblin of the unimaginative.
Your sanctimony is getting in the way of your sanity.
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
7/18/2025 3:09:05 PM # 1.0.0
