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Sober Song by Barton Sutter: American Life in Poetry #6

Rhyme has a way of lightening the spirit of a poem, and in this instance, the plural, spirits, is the appropriate word choice. Lots of readers can relate to "Sober Song," which originally appeared in North Dakota Quarterly. Barton Sutter is a Minnesota poet, essayist, and fiction writer who has won awards in all three genres.
Sober Song

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.


American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Reprinted from Farewell to the Starlight in Whiskey, Rochester: BOA Editions, 2004, by permission of the author. Introduction copyright © 2009 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

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  • Aranrhod
    May 21
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    Well done

    This is poetry because it has both rhyme and meter - to me at least, if there's no rhyme or meter it's prose. Not that I have anything against prose, and good prose is also excellent to read - but let's call it as it is.
    Well done.


  • Indeed
    May 21
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    Hi! my name Is Emily, and I know a very extremely awesome way of getting rid of addictions..(if this poem is about you.) What are you're thoughts on Christianity?

  • Skyhawk-Lustrus
    May 21
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    Excellent

    This poem definitely deals with the idea of goodbyes, and the use of the repeated rhyming of the word-related-to is very well done and can see why somebody say it might have been difficult to write. Alcohol definitely not from experience would say is a hard addiction to quite because it is addictive and even the powerful still struggle to let go of it, being able to say good bye is awesome.
    We have to learn to let go of our different addictions, or problems, saying good bye to circumstances that pull us down or to the past that are not so good or bring us down to regret.
    Truth is not easily understood, taken or invited into peoples life either because of experiment or lack of truth or deception or ignorance, or to understand truth better. The truth that the author thought they saw or heard in the bottle of alcohol is not actually there but missing, and needs to find the truth somewhere else to overcome a problem or want or need-a problem. Which they think is in water but may later realize that it is not in water but missing, but as long as they say that they have found it in water and believe with reason that it is there they won't realy let go and even if it is bad, besides water is the most common and the sweetest of drinks in the world.
    The rhyming of the poem is actually good and well done either natural or with difficulty rhymed, its good.


  • grampabob1946 silver member
    May 21
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    Great Stuff

    I"m quite new to poetry, and don't understand it a bit. This site was recomended to me by my sponsor as a way of relieving stress. This poem really hits me as I understand the lure of alcohol very well. I give this poem an A+

  • mwzephyr
    May 20
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    I loved the honesty of this poem.


  • bossy gurl 09
    May 20
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    yeah it was okay


  • Javid
    May 20
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    im another one who really enjoyed this. I love rhyme and cant understand why some people hate it so much. Let them read this and say that rhyme doesnt work.

  • veronica72
    May 20
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    This is fantastic! Love it! ... especially the last line. However, I'm going to choose to deceive myself a bit longer. I find goodbyes so hard.


  • rbruce gold member
    May 20
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    The simplicity of this poem is quite amazing. The rhythm just bounces along. Must have been a really difficult poem to write. The apparent simplicity is deceiving. Excellent.

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