Texas Poet Laureate Steven J. Fromholz...
Steven was named Texas Poet Laureate for the State of Texas in April of 2007. In Texas, once a Poet Laureate always a Poet Laureate -- not just for the year named. Sometimes Steven is referred to as Poet Laureate Emeritus as that indicates he is not the current Poet Laureate of Texas but still enjoys the title. We try to use that designation with the press, etc. in deference to the sitting Texas Poet Laureate -- it's a once-in-a-lifetime honor and each Poet Laureate should have their own year of honors and attention!
This is the page we'll include some of Steven's poetry -- some of it set to music and some not -- all interesting. The featured poem below was written by Steven in the late 1960's with music and titled "Song for Stephen Stills." Steven and Dan McCrimmon put the song on their Frummox album "Here to There" and Michael Martin Murphy (he only had two parts to his name back then) recorded the tune on his "Flowing Free Forever" Lp and titled it "High Country Caravan" in 1969.
Song for Stephen Stills
by Steven Fromholz ©1969
As it appears on the Frummox "Here to There" record
The
crystal gay softness unbroken by sunlight,
And rainbows have died for the
day.
A pine needle pillow of dreamed-upon memories,
Walked over winds
blown away.
Time
doesn't enter my singular solitude,
Mysteries of night thoughts come begging to me,
Where lonely well-meaning is only allowable,
Thoughts of my past
bring my present to me.
I
laugh at my lyrics while singing to nightbirds,
The words only mess up the
tune.
And count all the stars 'til I run out of numbers,
And find that I'm
sleeping too soon.
Night
is for laughing or walking a quiet path,
Lying in clover on top of a
hill.
I lay here dreaming of sailing on silver wings
Morning comes dancing
and I'm dreaming still.
(Chorus #1)
And I'm off on a high country caravan, gone again,
Following the ones
who went before;
Don't think that I'm going back again,
I couldn't stand
the games of man,
I just won't play at all no
more.
I
sit in the sunrise and search for the morningstar,
Fighting the sun to be
seen.
Standing in springtime and watching the trees working,
Changing the
dead leaves to green.
Daylight it decorates all that it falls upon,
Everything 'round me it
feels like my own.
Walking a straight path from here over yonder way.
Me
feeling happy, for once all alone.
(Chorus#2)
And I'm off on a high country caravan,
Where I've been is all a sin I'd just as soon forget;
Can't see no reason to look behind,
I might find some of
the kind I've seen before,
We've already
met.
Out
across the valley on through the creek bed.
My footprints are seen by the
dove.
And he flies on by me and calls his love mate,
The smile fits my
face like a glove.
Down
in the gulleys the going get rougher now,
Turn loose my footsteps I go where
they will.
If you pass this way you might possibly find me here,
Staring
at God from the top of a hill.
You are listening to "Dear Darcy" written and performed by Steven Fromholz from his "Live At Anderson Fair" Cd.
This is the page we'll include some of Steven's poetry -- some of it set to music and some not -- all interesting. The featured poem below was written by Steven in the late 1960's with music and titled "Song for Stephen Stills." Steven and Dan McCrimmon put the song on their Frummox album "Here to There" and Michael Martin Murphy (he only had two parts to his name back then) recorded the tune on his "Flowing Free Forever" Lp and titled it "High Country Caravan" in 1969.
Song for Stephen Stills
by Steven Fromholz ©1969
As it appears on the Frummox "Here to There" record
The
crystal gay softness unbroken by sunlight,
And rainbows have died for the
day.
A pine needle pillow of dreamed-upon memories,
Walked over winds
blown away.
Time
doesn't enter my singular solitude,
Mysteries of night thoughts come begging to me,
Where lonely well-meaning is only allowable,
Thoughts of my past
bring my present to me.
I
laugh at my lyrics while singing to nightbirds,
The words only mess up the
tune.
And count all the stars 'til I run out of numbers,
And find that I'm
sleeping too soon.
Night
is for laughing or walking a quiet path,
Lying in clover on top of a
hill.
I lay here dreaming of sailing on silver wings
Morning comes dancing
and I'm dreaming still.
(Chorus #1)
And I'm off on a high country caravan, gone again,
Following the ones
who went before;
Don't think that I'm going back again,
I couldn't stand
the games of man,
I just won't play at all no
more.
I
sit in the sunrise and search for the morningstar,
Fighting the sun to be
seen.
Standing in springtime and watching the trees working,
Changing the
dead leaves to green.
Daylight it decorates all that it falls upon,
Everything 'round me it
feels like my own.
Walking a straight path from here over yonder way.
Me
feeling happy, for once all alone.
(Chorus#2)
And I'm off on a high country caravan,
Where I've been is all a sin I'd just as soon forget;
Can't see no reason to look behind,
I might find some of
the kind I've seen before,
We've already
met.
Out
across the valley on through the creek bed.
My footprints are seen by the
dove.
And he flies on by me and calls his love mate,
The smile fits my
face like a glove.
Down
in the gulleys the going get rougher now,
Turn loose my footsteps I go where
they will.
If you pass this way you might possibly find me here,
Staring
at God from the top of a hill.
You are listening to "Dear Darcy" written and performed by Steven Fromholz from his "Live At Anderson Fair" Cd.
Dear Darcie helping her Dad get ready for a photo shoot.
-- Photo by George Brainard, Austin, TX