The lament of Connor O' Dannels

 

“Mistah, he’s dead, he’s dead. There isn’t nottin’ you can do ‘bout him, nottin’.”

 

Here lay the sordid remains of Connor O’ Dannels,

Daisies sprout from solid ground

During this cruel and unforgiving spring.

Winter melted and left us behind cold and frozen

As the hoarfrost stir’d forget-me-nots and helpless smiles

With the dull melancholy that seemed to make up the whole season’s feeling.

We pay tribute,

With a thousand soles

Trampling lilacs on dewy grass that

Freeze under starry nights

And April showers.

If I am to drown

If I am to drown

Why must I gaze at paradise?

Why must I gaze at this paradise?

Left drown’d upon open sea…

Here lay the sordid remains of Connor O’ Dannels,

Washed up in slimy gutters

Where the belly of black rats scrape

The dried husks of dead men

And mossy graves

All behind the mausoleum gate.

And I hark unto thee,

Silent and bleak

Fading! Fading  fast!

A world unknown to thou.

For Poseidon has cursed me,

Cursed me so!

To be lost

Lost at sea.

Here lay the sordid remains of Connor O’ Dannels,

Rebirth’d from the underground

Growing from the earthly spring

So vivid with a masquerade of colors.

Rebirth’d, reborn, resurrected,

Reborn from solid ground!

Just to be drenched with cruel April rains.

 

Reviews

[Michael Carr]

I enjoyed it. not so much a story as free prose though. just a tech thing.
that said, this is the best work I've read of yours so far. got a good stretch of imagery and a rather unique ending message, very bleak. but more connecting for the readers than alot of work on here.
good work. I only wish it were longer.

[~LeeAnn~]

I am sorry to announce that your poem The lament of Connor O'Dannels did not make the finalist of the Broken hearts contest.
LeeAnn

[Starting Over]

Wow I really enjoyed this and this a a great piece. You have amazing talent Sir William!

[Rick Puetter]

Dear William,

Another good one. This gives me such a Faulkner feeling. And there are those Eliot-esque feelings, too, and that Conrad "Heart of Darkness"-like opening line. All very nice. One correction, though, your line "A world unknown to thou" should be "A world unknown to thee".

All in all, another great write.

Best regards,

Rick

[W.k.kortas]

Has the feel, just a wee bit, of early Yeats. It's nicely constructed and the imagery--black rats bouncing up against Spring's "masquerade of colors"-- is varied and visual. A very strong piece of work.

[Black_Dahlia32]

I really enjoyed this poem man.

[Strife]

Death has no eyes; Darkness no soul; Despair no heart; Damnation no mind

Very bleak but real. Raw, I mean

[Hisou_Tenshi]

It's pretty good.. I admit that I do like it. My mind isn't very open to praise right now though since I'm unwell. I'll tell you more 'bout it later.

[BeetleBug]

sucks.