A Treatise on American Common Sense and Wisdom American Style Plain Spoken Haiku

American Common Sense and Wisdom: American Style Plain-Spoken Haiku By Lyle ForetIn a world drowning in noise, quick fixes, and shallow advice, a South Louisiana father quietly offers his daughter—and now readers everywhere—a sturdy, no-nonsense inheritance: nearly 600 American-style plain-spoken haiku poems, distilled from decades of hard work, family life, bayou grit, storms weathered, bills paid, and a stubborn streak of quiet optimism.These aren't delicate, cherry-blossom haiku. They're blunt, sometimes humorous, stripped to the bone, and rebuilt with real American experience—South Louisiana bayou grit mixed with Texas ranch logic and the kind of common sense your grandfather muttered on the farm or fishing in the bayou. Each poem uses a clever, repeating structure: the first and last 5-syllable lines stand firm like solid fence posts (echoing the chapter's core theme), while the middle 7-syllable line strings the "wire"—contrasting one clear, practical path of common sense against the crooked one twisted by pride, laziness, folly, or modern distractions. The tension hits fast, the wisdom lands gentle but deep, never preachy—just fatherly, like sharing hard-earned lessons over coffee at the kitchen table.The book traces life's full trail across 11 focused chapters: "Generally Speaking," health, family and friends, education, work, finances, politics, patriotism, the environment, spirituality, and a final Louisiana "lagniappe" (a little something extra, just because). Lyle Foret speaks with the plain voice of a man who's lived long enough to know what truly matters, humble enough to admit he doesn't have all the answers, and hopeful enough to keep choosing the good path.What makes this more than poetry is the generous back matter: 12 substantial appendices filled with family stories, author reflections, paired vices and virtues, practical rules of thumb, Native American and African American wisdom, Cowboy Ethics, Stoic principles, Confucian/Taoist/Buddhist insights, and foundational U.S. documents like excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. It's a full philosophical companion, self-help guide, cultural treasury, and generational legacy rolled into one.It all began with a daily school-drop-off ritual: "What kind of day are you going to have today?" "A great day, Dad." Those simple words sparked private notes that grew into these poems—a father's tracks in the sand, guiding his American girl (and perhaps your child) through life's thickets with a smile and solid footing. By the end, you'll feel that choosing a great day—even when the evidence is thin—might just be the wisest practice we have.Perfect for slow daily reading, journaling prompts, family discussions, teaching moments, or as a heartfelt gift for parents, graduates, patriots, poetry lovers, or anyone craving grounded, heart-deep insight. Fans of The Daily Stoic, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, Life’s Little Instruction Book, or Ryan Holiday's wisdom collections will discover a fresh, distinctly American voice here: accessible, quotable, built to last, and best read on a porch swing at dusk with sweet tea nearby.Read it slowly. Let it shape your days for the better. Keep it on the nightstand—two or three pairs each morning, and you'll start wiser than you were the night before.. Read more