I miss you – yes I do, you boozy Celt!
I’ve half a mind to hear you spin a yarn
While you, with pints of stout beneath your belt,
Traipse homewards through the rainy streets of Laugharne,
From Brown’s Hotel, where we propped up the bar
Till closing time. What’s closing time to me
Or you? Come on – the Boathouse isn’t far –
Down to the sloe black, slow, black, crow black sea!
There’s pen and paper ready for your muse,
A bottle, and some glasses for a toast,
We’ll sit, and laugh, and rhyme a while, and booze –
But, Duw, dear lad, you’re nothing but a ghost!
Can such as you go, gentle, into night,
Or did you rage against that dying light?
Author notes
I don't really need to name this poet!
("Laugharne" is pronounced "Larn")
In a list
- Not Bad • next in list
- Homages to other poets and authors... • next in list
- Sonnets, sonnets, and more bloody sonnets • next in list
- Wee yellow vases • next in list
A contest entry
- Sonnet written for a dead poet. #81 Winklings and all AP Friends by Winklings.
2600 points, ended May 15, 12 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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I have only ever written sonnets about nature and love and never thought about writing one about people and events.
I like this very much as it holds the reader's hand throughout. 
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Starless & Bible black, Very good!
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That's the one.
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Oh, this is beautiful - full of his spirit, and yours, a lovely tribute to the man and the poet. I love the careful cadence of a well-written sonnet, but this one surpasses, with its vitality and intimacy. I love how tyou used a line from Under Milkwood, and it slowed the poem down to a pensive pace, until it ends with the echo of his perhaps most well-known villanelle. Stunning work!
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I am glad that you spotted and appreciated exactly what I was doing in this poem. Thank you.
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Congrads on the little gold effigy
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Thank you, Sis.
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I love the sonnet form and your conversational tribute to Thomas is wonderful. I thought the way you utilized his famous villanelle in your closing couplet was personal and poignant. Truly an outstanding work. Peace, Liz
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I have loved Thomas' poetry since the first time I sat, spellbound, listening to Richard Burton reading the part of the First Voice in "Under Milk Wood". As for the villanelle, it breaks my heart. Thank you, Liz.
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I simply LOVE the way you write. Bravo! ~Pamela
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I'm sorry if I have been picky with the couple of poems of yours I have read - this is, as far as I am any judge - perfect!
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Ah! I am familiar with Dylan Thomas, and especially his famous Villanelle!!! But I think I can identify more with holding up the bar... hehe! This is an animated Sonnet and an intimate tribute to one poet who has touched your life... [Thinking...] I haven't been sloshed in a good long while... might improve my poetry...???
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It didn't hurt his!
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Ah, I love this sonnet too.
The greatest part of reading this was the transition in tone...how I laughed the first time I recognised DT in the "sloe black, slow, black" line, and then stopped, sobered, when I saw him in the couplet: "go, gentle, into night".
You seem to have a talent for echoing the poets your sonnets draw from or involve! And also of being delicious to read aloud... the diction of "Can such as you, go, gentle" slows the reading pace so that the words linger on the tongue, demanding heavy thought, contemplation.
I find it easier to envision a raging DT than a gentle one. I wonder why?
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Whenever I write a poem, I sit back and read it aloud. Being read aloud brings poetry so much to life!
And I think what you pick up from DT is his full-bloodedness, gentle or raging.
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Here's to Welsh Rarebits.
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None rarer than DT.
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Richard Burton and a set of BBC LPs!!! Trouble is, I don't have a record player, though I am sure Mum still has the records. Off to jumble sales to find one!
I don't think I will get away with a blank verse sonnet here.
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You do realise you can get it on CD!
I never miss a chance to see/hear a presentation of UMW. -
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I work for food and beer not CDs!!!
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well, all seem to know who you're dedicating this poem to, except maa ... she truly is ignorant and uneducated in many fields ...
this did not prevent her though from fully enjoying and admiring your sonnet, which, for me will be another difficult "obstacle", in case I find the courage to enter this contest ...
I wish you all the best for this golden entry, although you certainly don't need "luck" in order to receive a well-deserved award for it ...
maa
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To the wonderful Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Check out his poetry-drama "Under Milk Wood" which tells the story of 24 hours in the fictional Welsh village of Llareggub/Llaregyb, and of course his heartbreaking villanelle to his dying father - "Do not go gentle into that good night"
Thank you, Marion.
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thank you so much for the precious info, mairi ...
I am ignorance incarnate in the worlds of poetry and litterature (and not only there ...)
even hearing the poet's name, no bell rings for me ...
business-school-karma, I guess ...
but you are here to introduce me to your world, and I am grateful for it ...
merci !
maa
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No better poet to write a dedication for and no better poetess to pen it...this is excellent indeed! Go forth and win the contest.
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Out of my hands of course, but thank you.
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"Down to the sloe black, slow, black, crow black sea!"
where did you come up with this??
such a beautiful sonnet
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Ah, now THAT is an almost-quote from Dylan Thomas' most famous work, the lengthy drama-poem called "Under Milk Wood". Let me quote it in a fuller form for you. It is the beginning of the work:
"To begin at the beginning: it is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobble streets silent and the hunched, courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloe black, slow, black, crow black fishing boat-bobbing sea."
Thomas had converted a boathouse on the estuary of the River Taf in Wales - not quite the sea, but near enough - as a den to write in. And in my poem here, I am coaxing and teasing him (or at least his ghost) to come along with me, by using some words he'll be familiar with, whilst knowing that he will never be able to add to those words, because he is dead.
To end my poem, I lift/paraphrase some words from his beautiful villanelle to his dying father http://www.bigeye.com/donotgo.htm wondering whether he slipped away from us, or fought for his life.
If you haven't checked out the contest, to see why I wrote this, please do. Thanks for your visit and your comment. Much appreciated.
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I love this amusing and affectionate tribute to the great Welsh bard--definite kudos for this!
Bill
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Ta!
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Definitely my kind of poetry
Sins and bad behavior are the most interesting subjects for poetry. I never could write for cold beans when I was drinking though. We have a law here, PWUI, pronouced Phwew, poetry writing under the influence. You could be sentence to up to five years to going to poetry reading by a woman with a very irritating whiny voice going on forever about how rotten her childhood was. There are monitors to stop you from getting down on the floor and crawling out.
I loved your poem
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I think we could do with the poetry police around these parts sometimes, 'Rider. The subject of this poem seemed to mix poetry with inebriation with ease, and died too young because of it, I believe. I am glad you liked this tribute to him.
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I love this dear sister! When I saw the contest I knew exactly which poet you would chose. Scary that I am getting to know you so well. This sonnet is wonderful and worth many re-reads over a bottle of stout.
Love,
Amera♥
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Well, that wonderful villanelle to his dying father, for a start... and a couple of years ago I sat through a radio re-presentation of "Under Milk Wood" with Richard Burton as the first voice - incredible! Spellbinding!
Thank you, Sis.
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