deelilah

Apr 21, 2009 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

Wizards of Drink

I am eight straws away from happiness,
going ‘round the world with friends in the sky.
Wizards of drink, a form of craftiness,
pour green lizards for the ultimate high.

My soul floats up with the cigarette smoke,
wispy O rings rise from the French exhale.
Who-o-o R U says a forward grinning bloke,
invisible Cheshire cat, his eyes so pale.

Lost in deep thought, or gone in smoky haze,
it matters not; it matters not at all,
an alcohol craze or mind numbing blaze,
sooner than later—doomed—to hit the wall.

Walk with me to the bar on the corner;
listen to the piano man’s sad, sad song,
plays minor chords, scales notes like a mourner,
bittersweet melody just rolls along.

Now I’m defined by the drink of the hour.
The boys on the shelf own my very life;
Johnny, Jack, and Jose have the power;
one for the road, no longer my delight.

— deelilah, Apr 21, 2009

About This Poem

About the Author

Region, Country: Northwest USA, USA

Favorite Poets: E.E. Cummings, Robert W. Service, Emily Dickenson

Critiques

Cloudthings

17 years 1 month ago

the opening line has to be my favourite, a brilliant opening lin

Deelilah, I was so entranced by this write, I had some trouble with the cigarettes & the tragic end (& so what if I did.. I fear I may be becoming a prude in some respects, it's just a personal aversion to imagining myself in those circumstances, don't pay any heed!) I do think this is a really good work, my over empathic heart wants to ignore that these things go on, that people escape to alcohol (whilst I escape to Neopoet! Is it so much worse I get no sleep so degrade my life almost as much, one would think I could be more sensible about it... I would! Same with alcohol I suppose, no judgement, just the opposite, I'm pointing out how I & most others, would be hypocrits to judge.) The point should be - the scene was so well portreyed I was there & fully empathising (almost hic-cupping & slurring my internal dialogue), that's a good skill, it may well be fiction for all I know, but I could feel it going on through your words. The verse relating to the music was wonderful, sticks to me since I am a musician. Ah but the opening line has to be my favourite, it is a brilliant opening line. Well done Anni ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "...We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? ... Your playing small doesn't serve the world..."

deelilah

17 years 1 month ago

Dear Anni

I'm so glad you liked this. It is partly true. Actually, many (many) years ago, my husband and I worked in the restaurant atop the Space Needle in Seattle. It offered, at the time, a big mai tai sort of drink in a big world globe container with eight straws from which a group of friends would share a drink (no longer legal). We did drink these after work. Also the 'green lizard' is a shot of green chartreuse liquor and a shot of 151 rum, the effects of which, upon shooting, go immediately to the brain. Well, that was all fun--and fortunately, we have (for the most part) outgrown this--but I admit I still have a fondness for Jose. The piano bar is still a place I love, drinks or no drinks. You are right about the seductive nature of poetry and the time spent doing it. Yours, Deelilah

deelilah

17 years 1 month ago

PS

Anni, As to the cigarettes, I gave those up long ago for motherhood. However, I did once upon a time blow perfect smoke rings ,and I do love Lewis Carol characters. I can take a drink and stop,but if I ever picked up another cigarette, I would be drawn instantly into what is now a $10.00 (in New York) habit, the most seductive drug of all; and believe me, in my profession, it's a constant temptation. D.

Cloudthings

17 years 1 month ago

Of course Deelilah, me too

Of course Deelilah, me too or I wouldn't need such a strong aversion!!!! I completely relate, I don't care though, I love the poem ...& the Globe concept, what fun it would be, no doubt there'd be a race to slurp it all up before you missed out, & I gathered what the green lizard was, sounds like fun. Is that your sprite, great picture. Completely in the present, I love kids for that. Enjoy x Anni ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "...We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? ... Your playing small doesn't serve the world..."

infinite_dwarf

17 years 1 month ago

Dee

Anyone who can artfully squish in the Cheshire cat is a-ok in my book! I couldn't help but think of the Sobe lizards when I read that lizard line in the first stanza. This is a cool poem - very creative. btw... poewriter58 is mother. ~Jess K. ---------------------------------------------------- - "I wound her up, an' I shifted down, an' I offered this prayer to my Lord: Said, God, get me back home to Houston alive, an' I won't drive a truck anymore..." - Steve Earle

deelilah

17 years 1 month ago

Hi Jess

Thanks for the delightful comment. I love 'Alice' and I love the smoke ring episode in the movie. The 'Who-o R U' question stimulates my thinking buds daily. I see you have a new cat picture. Cute cat too. He/she looks a little like the Cheshire cat, don't you think? I don't know why I didn't put together the mother daughter relationship sooner. That's so cool, you both are artists. I love it. Yours, Deelilah

deelilah

17 years 1 month ago

P.S.

P.S. I can sure relate to this: '- “I wound her up, an’ I shifted down, an’ I offered this prayer to my Lord: Said, God, get me back home to Houston alive, an’ I won’t drive a truck anymore…” - Steve Earle' D.

Janice Pearce

17 years 1 month ago

Wizards of Drink

I liked this one Dee. Interesting,you drew me in, and I felt I was right there with you, Hic~ ______________________________________________________ Income-tax forms should be more realistic by allowing the taxpayer to list "Uncle Sam" as a dependent Anonymous

deelilah

17 years 1 month ago

Hi Janice

Thank you for responding, Janice. I always love to hear from you. Yeah, those were the good old days. I could do the lizards again, but recovery time? Who knows. Deelilah

themoonman

17 years 1 month ago

Hi Dee...

I too loved the opening line... it is inspired from times past... now, most of us wouldn't even think about sharing the same drink with anyone else other than maybe our partner, too much knowledge on the ease of transference... enjoyed your poem and the piano bar was (and still is) great! I remember when it was important to have a buzz going in order to enjoy music, but now, the music is the buzz... times change... Richard

deelilah

17 years 1 month ago

Hello Richard

It is good to see you here. Yes times do change. I still have to get a buzz to enjoy most of today's music--but not the good old classics on a piano. I like quiet guitar too. I know you mentioned you play a little guitar--what kind, and what kind of music do you most like? I remember one of your poems made me think you might be a musician. Anyway, thanks for visiting. Yours, deelilah

themoonman

17 years 1 month ago

Deelilah...

I thank you for your interest, but I wouldn't want to misrepresent myself... I can only strum a little on the guitar, a bit on the piano, and at one time in life I was actually a pretty rounded drummer... but in no way am I a musician... I have family members that are though, my uncle is known as one of the best guitar players in the area and he is only a few years older than I, so I grew up with quite the taste for music. He teaches now, but back in the day, when he was still playing in bands, I used to travel with him and set up and tear down... a roadie sort of... I also have always been an avid art fan... wanted to be either an Artist or a musician, but my lust for the ladies and other temptations and of course, kids and the need to provide changed my way so I became a printer for 25yrs or so... I liked it very much... never lost my interest in music or art, but I don't really qualify as either... I took up writing somewhere in there, started writing little sayings on the bottom of my drawings and it stayed with me all this time. I have a wide taste for music and art... from classical to todays fast paced rap even, I don't think I can pick a certain genre of music to be a favorite... I can find something good about most music... sorry for getting all long winded ... Richard

deelilah

17 years 1 month ago

Richard

Thanks so much for sharing. I really love to know a little something about some of my neopoet friends. I think you could hold your own in more than one musical genre. The roadie years must have been very special for you. Me, a little piano (8 years of lessons, very little piano). Personally, I cannot abide rap. My favorite: jazz. And I think nothing has turned me on in a very long time more than 'Ring of Fire' sung by American Idol to be, Adam Lambert--since Elvis. Thanks for the little insights into Richard. Always, Deelilah