"Still life with two sparrows" by Martinus Røerbye ‘What Do You Do When You No Longer Drink’ and Other Poetry by Geoffrey Smagacz The Society November 16, 2023 Beauty, Culture, Love Poems, Poetry 19 Comments . What Do You Do When You No Longer Drink What do you do when you no longer drink, no tossing out the empties in a bag as one by one you hear that cautious clink then wipe end tables with a beer-soaked rag? Face reality? No, not right away. How about starting with a hearty meal? I think I can get eggs and toast to stay without my stomach’s violent repeal. But after that I need to reassess. For crying out loud, what do the sparrows do when facing ordinary woodland stress? Find month-old fermented berries to chew? In twenty-four hours it will be clearer. Then I can call myself a perseverer. . . Though I Might Memorize My Lines Though I might memorize my lines, I doubt that I, before an audience of one, could, like a panicked actor, get them out truly, despite the all-day-long dry run. Too much rehearsal makes words insincere. And there’s one other thing—I’m not an actor; I don’t possess the skills to make them clear. Add fear of failure as another factor. Oh, that Shakespearean notion that she’d read from twinges on my face and blinkless eyes of that which my own tongue will not accede— at least I think that’s what my look implies: that I’m, well I’m—I think that I’m in love. How can I take the stage without a shove? . . An Autumn Flower An autumn flower no one will ever pick, not visible from any walking trail, not beautified by fancy rhetoric, but plain, burnt orange, wind pliant but not frail, without an odor to the human nose but one the bee and beetle can detect even in its last hour, I presuppose, before it’s felled by frost, before it’s wrecked, and not a flower that one could hold in mind— that is the vexing quandary that I’m in. It’s not a flower that one could ever find; it’s never died because it’s never been. I merely make an allegoric guess that one like it lives in the wilderness. . . Geoffrey Smagacz writes from Mexico (mostly) and South Carolina. His poetry has been published in various literary magazines and e-zines, including 14 by 14, Dappled Things and the Society of Classical Poets. His latest murder mystery, Reportedly Murdered (Wipf and Stock, 2022), is now available through online venues. A collection of his fiction, published under the title of A Waste of Shame and Other Sad Tales of the Appalachian Foothills (Wiseblood Books, 2013), won the 2014 Independent Publisher gold medal for Best Mid-Atlantic Regional Fiction. www.geoffreysmagacz.com, @Ge0ffreyW on Twitter. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 19 Responses Phil L. Flott November 16, 2023 Lots of high class rhymes here. Kudos! Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Tnank you, Phil. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson November 16, 2023 Poem #1: One may need more than 24 hours to persevere. LOL. Poem #2: Preplanned words may disappear when our true love will first appear. Poem #3: The concept of imagining a flower that may not exist is unique and fascinating to me. I found your poems interesting and imaginative. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thank you, Roy Reply David Paul Behrens November 16, 2023 All three sonnets are well written and interesting. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thank you, David Reply Hari Hyde November 16, 2023 Brilliant poems! I can hear the bottles’ cautious clinks, a halfway goodbye, a halfway RSVP. “Though I Might Memorize My Lines” is apropos for many anticipated meetings. “An Autumn Flower” particularizes our imaginations’ creations. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thanks, Hari. I’ve put many empties in the trash in my time, and I’ve lived to tell the cautionary tale. Reply Cynthia Erlandson November 16, 2023 “without my stomach’s violent repeal” is as close to an elegant way of expressing that event as may be possible… anyway, I enjoyed that line, and the poem— as well as the other two. “Memorize” definitely made me smile; you’ve expressed very well a frame of mind so many have had in that situation. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thanks for your insight, Cynthia. Reply Yael November 16, 2023 All three poems are delightfully entertaining and a pleasure to read, thank you. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thanks for your kind thoughts, Yael. Reply Margaret Coats November 16, 2023 Geoffrey, these are paradoxically light-hearted songs on serious subjects. The struggle to recover from addiction is one of the most important battles a man can undertake; measuring success in small increments of time is a strengthening strategy. Singing little sparrow sonnets may help too. “I’m no actor” from the speaker in “Memorize My Lines” is a sincere qualification for success in love. Enjoyed your style! Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thank you, Margaret. I appreciate your perceptive insights and your advice about love. I know more than I’d like to know about struggling with alcohol addiction. Reply Jeff Eardley November 16, 2023 Geoffrey, three most enjoyable sonnets. The first is my favourite and so descriptive of the first boozeless day after a long bottle-clinking spell. All three are well written and thought provoking. Well done. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thanks, Jeff, for your kind remarks. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thank you, Margaret. I appreciate your perceptive insights and your advice about love. I know more than I’d like to know about struggling with alcohol addiction. Reply Dave Whippman November 20, 2023 “Though I might…” will strike a chord with anyone who has been tongue-tied in the presence of his (or her) beloved. Nicely done. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 24, 2023 Thanks, Dave Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Roy Eugene Peterson November 16, 2023 Poem #1: One may need more than 24 hours to persevere. LOL. Poem #2: Preplanned words may disappear when our true love will first appear. Poem #3: The concept of imagining a flower that may not exist is unique and fascinating to me. I found your poems interesting and imaginative. Reply
Hari Hyde November 16, 2023 Brilliant poems! I can hear the bottles’ cautious clinks, a halfway goodbye, a halfway RSVP. “Though I Might Memorize My Lines” is apropos for many anticipated meetings. “An Autumn Flower” particularizes our imaginations’ creations. Reply
Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thanks, Hari. I’ve put many empties in the trash in my time, and I’ve lived to tell the cautionary tale. Reply
Cynthia Erlandson November 16, 2023 “without my stomach’s violent repeal” is as close to an elegant way of expressing that event as may be possible… anyway, I enjoyed that line, and the poem— as well as the other two. “Memorize” definitely made me smile; you’ve expressed very well a frame of mind so many have had in that situation. Reply
Yael November 16, 2023 All three poems are delightfully entertaining and a pleasure to read, thank you. Reply
Margaret Coats November 16, 2023 Geoffrey, these are paradoxically light-hearted songs on serious subjects. The struggle to recover from addiction is one of the most important battles a man can undertake; measuring success in small increments of time is a strengthening strategy. Singing little sparrow sonnets may help too. “I’m no actor” from the speaker in “Memorize My Lines” is a sincere qualification for success in love. Enjoyed your style! Reply
Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thank you, Margaret. I appreciate your perceptive insights and your advice about love. I know more than I’d like to know about struggling with alcohol addiction. Reply
Jeff Eardley November 16, 2023 Geoffrey, three most enjoyable sonnets. The first is my favourite and so descriptive of the first boozeless day after a long bottle-clinking spell. All three are well written and thought provoking. Well done. Reply
Geoffrey Smagacz November 18, 2023 Thank you, Margaret. I appreciate your perceptive insights and your advice about love. I know more than I’d like to know about struggling with alcohol addiction. Reply
Dave Whippman November 20, 2023 “Though I might…” will strike a chord with anyone who has been tongue-tied in the presence of his (or her) beloved. Nicely done. Reply