He had it all, rode so high
upon crest’s in the sea if life
Wife, kids, home, car
and, a job he hated.
Soon,
a bottle took him to bed
or, wherever it was that
he fell.
Oh, yes, he fell
and kept on falling.
Time passed
that steady stream of full
and empty bottles became
his only friend
Lost his wife
kids, home and car
now, even
Shank’s pony will not
take him far
when he’s always
three sheets to the wind.
~*~
© Daydreamertoo *All rights Reserved
As soon as I saw this photograph it reminded me of the expression; ‘three sheets to the wind’
For those interested:
Meaning of Shank’s Pony
Meaning of Three Sheets to the Wind
Shared with dVerse Poets Poetics: The photography of fellow blogger Tery S Amtutz
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How appropriate for me – I just saw the movie ‘Flight’ with Denzel Washington which addresses alcoholism.
Three sheets to the wind is actually a sailing term. ..ropes securing the sails to stop them flapping about in the wind. Alcoholism is a very serious social disease that effects far too many families. It runs in families as Brian says.
What a beautiful but painful poem. It brough back memories of my last days in Havana before relocating to the UK fifteen years ago. I was born and raised in flay that was located across from a bar. A famous bar it was, frequented by musicians and artists. Over the years the clientele changed and one day I spotted a friend of mine, from my childhood years, queing up at 8:30am. When I was last in Cuba he wasnt even a shadow of the boy with whom I had once played in the nearby park. He was a wreck. Many thanks for such a marvellous piece of writing. I love your style.
Greetings from London.
This is a sad story of so many people … well narrated !!!
Oh, you use the idioms to such great effect ~ made me lol ~ but sad too ~ wonderful write
I’ve known guys with exactly that biograhy. You spell it out very well indeed.
I love that the picture reminded you of that saying and it took you in a very interesting direction. I love it!
lovely!!
Naval images, a ship that is going down for one who just will not trim the sails. This is a finely coded writing and I like it a lot. (I picked the same picture, but I am not proud of mine, as I wrote it as an exercise–which doesn’t mean it is not true, just that there was so much more I could do.)
Wonderful take on the prompt. Vivid and tragic. Well written.
Wow – I love this take on the prompt!
Great take on the picture! I wish that I’d thought of this.
I’d like to go, HA, in reference to your cleverness, but the bottle is a sad state for any person and families the use of them causes. I am impressed you were able to draw this from the photo. Very creative eye.
Well written, it’s a sick terrifying feeling living with someone who is three sheets to the wind… great take on the prompt.
Oh superb. I just saw this prompt as I work until late and wondered what the hell to make of it and how long I had to do it. Don’t know whether I shall make it… but well done for yours! 🙂
It takes time to realise the problem of which you write.
I’ve heard that expression…and lived with a father who was often “three sheets to the wind”…poor guy. It’s not a pretty picture you paint…alcoholism is so ugly.
Succinct and expressive. You manage to make the story somehow new here even though you acknowledge that it’s an old tale too. k .
“upon crest’s in the sea if life” – “three sheets to the wind.” wow, that says it all – and love that the picture inspired this poem … a great delivery.
Rending story and one that hits close to home. Great take on the prompt.
a sad story well captured. great poem.
Yes, the bottle definitely can make a person ‘three sheets to the wind.’ Very sad when that happens.
Sometimes that’s what it takes for someone to get help… so sad. Great piece!
Well I never knew that ~ The bottle can wreck lives of family, I believe it.
Have a great weekend ~
Guess that is what happens when one is always in a drunk funk, all is lost and the liver pays the cost.
ps. i tagged you in…smiles.
oh i so know what you’re talking about…my father used to drink…and it’s a spiral downward that gets out of control..nothing to hold on to…not able to give hold…
the bottle has taken a many…robbing them, robbing their families…so much danger in kissing those lips…and it becomes a generational burden….creative take on the pic bren…
Yes. An all too familiar story, well told. I remember that expression too.