A Bachelor's Soliloquy -- Part 2

[howdydave]

I wrote the following poem as a response to a poem titled:
A BACHELOR'S SOLILOQUY (see next post)

which was about a guy who displayed his love for a woman by making the
suprime sacrifice --giving up his pipe!

A BACHELOR'S SOLILOQUY -- Part 2

Alas dear pipe, I'll stick with thee
For you are always true;
Whilst women can be warm and fair
They often are untrue to you.

My pipe is always by my side
Will comfort, warm and calm me;
While women can be fickle, snide,
And often seem quite balmy!

A pipe's a friend who stays with you!
It doesn't ask for pearls,
A simple reaming out will do,
It doesn't fight or nag -- like girls.

Your soothing smoke curls 'round my head
Engulfing me in mystic haze
While girls demand attention, love
Or forthright sex to quench their craze.

Fair well dear girl, I'll miss you some
But lonesome nights will cease to be...
I'll stay out late, do as I please,
We'll live in peace -- my pipe and me!

-- HowdyDave (22 Aug., 2006)

[howdydave]

Here is the original poem:

A BACHELOR'S SOLILOQUY

My oldest pipe, my dearest girl,
Alas! Which shall it be?
For she has said that I must choose,
Betwixt herself and thee.

Farewell, old pipe; for many years
You've been my closest friend,
And ever ready at my side
They solace sweet to lend.

No more form out thy weedy bowl,
When fades the twilight's glow,
Will visions fair and sweet arise
Or fragrant fancies flow.

No more by flick'ring candlelight
Thy spirit I'll invoke,
To build my castles in the air
With wreaths of wav'ring smoke.

And so farewell, a long farewell--
Until the wedding's o'er,
And then I'll go on smoking thee,
Just as I did before.
-Edmond Day

[waves]

In the first - your version - you sound so lonely.

I have found that in depression i seek cigarettes - an old companion for this state... yet i am a "quitter" as they go... they don't own the show. But every time i get depressed my slowly withered will, seeks a secret friend, one which
will not judge me
will not hurt me
will not abandon me
will soothe me

and there i go again. i am learning "how to do depression without cigarettes"

it is hard.

i wish your pipe were more pipedreams
and that your dreams might come true,
whatever they might be.
of course now,
you may freely scoff at me.

~ waves ~

[howdydave]

Howdy waves!

You hold a very common misconception.

Never mistake solitude for lonliness.

The two are very different!

To use an example from the poem...
Solitude is the ability to "live in peace, my pipe and me."
Not only peace, but also happyness.

Lonliness would be more along the lines of "living in sadness,
depression, regret and grief."

Not all who wander are lost.
Not all who are alone are lonely.
(J.R.R. Tolkin is up to snuff in the Eastern philosophies.)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

waves,
quoting myself, from another thread...
Hope you can find something ‘healthy’ that helps you sweeten your week and make you feel better in spite of…

[howdydave]

I stopped smoking a pipe decades ago (cigarettes too.)

This was just an off the cuff response to a poem that I read.

In the first poem the person was given the ultimatum "Choose!"
so I thought that there ought to be something about making the other decision.

[waves]

You hold a very common misconception.

Never mistake solitude for lonlinessEhhhh.... I didn't. Perhaps in your case my perception may not have been accurate. Having spent much time basking in my own solitude, and also more than enough time with loneliness, so believe me, i fully understand the difference between the two. ;) I am glad if indeed your words are out of solitude and not loneliness. I apologize for my misinterpretation.

~ waves ~

[howdydave]

No need for appologies...

This was one of those responses
"Spoken to you but directed at everybody."