Sober Song by Barton Sutter

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.

For those trying Dry January or giving up alcohol altogether, and for those who love a poem that rhymes, this one's for you!

Besides the rhythm of this poem--which as humans we immediately respond--there is much else to love here.

The poem's first line, Farewell to the starlight in whiskey, is the title of the book in which this poem appears (2004, BOA Editions). Of course it is--it is a remarkable line and it is irresistable as a book title. Starlight in whiskey is unusual and a little magical, and the speaker keeps these images coming.

Beer has sunshine (yes! absolutely!). Brandy has moonlight, wine contains warmth, every bottle has God, and then at the poem's end, rum and vermouth have lies.

But this image is not a shocker as the speaker has told us throughout the poem of the damage alcohol has done to him and the lies it has told. Alcohol made him "cocky and frisky" at the time, but the next morning, looking in the mirror, that bravado was gone.

The speaker is quite blatant here:

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.

For this speaker, a Dry January would not be enough. This is a person with an obvious addiction to alcohol, or at least a psychological need for it.

I think I can finally stand me

Without a glass or a stein.

Wow. This goes beyond a lack of self-confidence into self-hatred and makes that dependence on alcohol understandable. But this speaker is determined to make this a final farewell.

Let me slake my thirst with water

And the sweet, transparent truth.

He is going into this major transformation with his eyes open, knowing what awaits him is truth. It seems to me that this is the way to overcome an addiction, being fully aware that what is on the other side is transparent. The lies, the superficial, the masks, etc. will all be gone and although that's a great thing, it is also tough.

If you read the comments for the poem I posted on Wednesday, you know I promised to post a cheerier poem on Sunday. You may be thinking, "Alcoholism is cheerier than climate change?!? Ummm . . . " But this poem tracks a man deciding to beat his demons and change his life. Okay--I am not sure this qualifies as "cheery," but it is positive and perfect for January, when resolutions are being broken. Plus, we cannot change the world if we are drowning in self-hatred and self-destruction.

So, yes, this is a happy poem.

Barton Sutter is a Minnesota poet. You can read more about him on his website.