warrens

Garrison Keillor has a 10 minute segment on NPR every morning, called Writer's Almanac. He always ends it with a poem. Today's poem caused me to Google it. Familiar to too many of us. Of course, the poet cannot be a drunk, in my opinion. He goes from A to Z in the length of a poem (from realization to solution).

Still, I thought it might be a "keeper" for some of us. The greatest truths tend to be simple. We "simply" make them complex...

Sober Song

by Barton Sutter


Farewell to the starlight in whiskey,
So long to the sunshine in beer.
The booze made me cocky and frisky
But worried the man in the mirror.
Goodnight to the moonlight in brandy,
Adieu to the warmth of the wine.
I think I can finally stand me
Without a glass or a stein.
Bye-bye to the balm in the vodka,
Ta-ta to the menthol in gin.
I'm trying to do what I ought to,
Rejecting that snake medicine.
I won't miss the blackouts and vomit,
The accidents and regret.
If I can stay off the rotgut,
There might be a chance for me yet.
So so long to God in a bottle,
To the lies of rum and vermouth.
Let me slake my thirst with water
And the sweet, transparent truth.


Reprinted from Farewell to the Starlight in Whiskey, Rochester: BOA Editions, 2004, by permission of the author.



warren

least

I love it! Thanks so much for sharing!

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