cathy mccormick
Jun 15, 2021

Only Bob Dylan Is Bob Dylan

Poem Body

the poet sits on a dark park bench
drinking mad dog 2020 with a drunk
a crumpled penthouse invite
in his pocket
the clever ones complain
while drinking champagne
impressed with themselves for changing
poetry's worn out face:
when metaphors could be understood
they were no good
the drunk never puts another
in his place
this man of the streets got the beat
he knows all carts and cargo weigh the same
he sits with just one face his red eyes watching
those hard-yoked eyes have seen it all before
he's seen the new emperors
in their fashionable clothes
ragged rumplestiltskins failing
to spin their straw to gold
the moon is missing the booze is gone
the poet pats the old drunk's hands,
grateful,
before going home to write
a pulitzer prize winner poem
unconcerned with the causes of clever
just thinking about sitting on a dark park bench
finding a face for that moon

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How was my language use?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?
Is the internal logic consistent?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Country/Region: WA

More from this author

Comments

S

like a rant against the ivory tower poets who are responsible for the decline of our art

C

wow. i consider him a word and lyric and music god. grew up with him. before i got old enough to forget i knew every word on his first 12 albums. with god on our side is a masterpiece. i have never not liked anything from him lol. i would probably give his grocery list an A+. thanks for reading. let's hope the clever ones are not so prolific

C

i love complicates stuff but i also love his simple stuff like this. first album "baby let me follow you down" nd "song to woody guthrie" are two of ma all-time favorites

Candlewitch

I remember your name fondly.

my favorite bob dylan album is "blood on the tracks", and the tune "Idiot Wind" it told the story of my life, up to a point. great poem by the way.

Hugs, Cat

Alex Tanner

Desolation Row, I and I, I could go on forever. Had the pleasure of meeting him as I walked the cliff path near my home when he played the IOW Festival and was staying in a converted barn just a few hundred yards away. Love your work by the way.
Alex