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LITERARY NOOK
Senescent Sonnets
Turning a Page on Alcohol
The first time you got drunk what was your age
if you looked at yourself what was your image
were you with your friends at a teenage stage
is that when you began regular alcohol usage
did you grow older drinking more and more
always having some more booze in storage
always driving to the cheapest liquor store
with a few cases of beer still in your garage
you got a beer belly now or a tiger in your tank
vomiting and blacking out every now and then
waking up with a headache your mind a blank
not a sober day since you can’t remember when
have you had enough booze at your present age
thinking about saying no and turning the page.
Not Scared of Scarlatti’s Song
“There the shudder of the waves breaking against
the rocks fills my heart with fear and terror”
“Ombre tacite e sole”
—Cantatas by Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
written on Oct. 31, 1716.
Though the place is called Suicide Cliff
I go there not to die but to watch the
Milky Way far above the Tinian sky
to see the bright moonlight dancing
across incessant choppy little waves
and how the moon’s reflection behaves
back and forth over and down under
pearl and diamond necklaces skip and
sway weaving intricate abstract patterns
you are unable to see in the light of day
I feel no terror as Scarlatti’s song sings
but dance with celestial angels that have
starlight on their wings. Yes, there is a
dull thud of waves on the rocks below
providing bass notes for the sea’s song
lit up lovely lilting golden moonglow.
Joey ‘Pepe Batbon’ Connolly (Special to the Saipan Tribune)
Joey aka Pepe Batbon is a retired educator who taught in the CNMI, NOLA, and LVNV. He is a sonnet practitioner who enjoys stargazing.
