"Another New Year's Eve"

I'm worn out, ended, finished, spent.

Like the year meant to be new,

I now feel used, tired through and through.

Nothing to my will has bent,

Life fought me, tooth and nail.

The soft rain that patters down

Reminds me of the tears I've shed

At funerals where we, the living dead,

Amongst our friends no comfort found--

Relentless in its cosmic scale.

Instead of fireworks, champagne, fun--

I take me to my bed,

I draw the covers o'er my head

As if hunkered down beneath some gun,

Listening for alarms to wail.

The striking of grandfather's bell

Continues to the stroke of twelve.

My dreams turned nightmares even delve

Into the corners of unwanted hell.

Happy New Year, old dead body pale.

     Sung to the tune: "Gone Away"

     by J.Charles Cripps

Is this thread losing feedback? I thought there was a reply here - albeit not particulary constructive, it still put the poem back up on the radar for me.

But here's some constructive feedback to replace it, or keep the OP company until the other finds its way back...

I appreciate the style you're playing with here J.Charles (in the past I've read your blog about it's Irish roots), but what eludes me is "built in help." I know that suffixing it with "Sung to the tune of...." is supposed to help in a manner, but unless you know that tune, it denies the piece of a major part of its animating spirit.

Maybe a link to a YouTube video, or a free mp3 download with the tune?

Thanks for your reply.  There is no such tune.  The tune named in each poem's case is like a signature unique to the poems I write.  No other old fool does that.  The name of the imaginary tune itself is intended to cause the reader to reflect back on the content of the poem for some reason.  In this poem, the person (narrator) has actually died along with the old year.  Therefore, he is "gone away".  At least, that is what I was thinking when I wrote it.  I've had others who have suggested that this detracts from my poems, but it is an eccentricity of mine just as it is an eccentricity of e.e. cummings to use no caps in attaching his name to his poems. 

Clever! I actually like it. It's definitely one way to seal a piece with a ©!

I guess when I saw your note above New Poem, and read "...a planxty is an Irish song ..." I scrambled over to Wiki look up planxty. That's where I assumed that there was a real song associated with it.

Thanks for the clarification.

and thus, four hours and ten minutes till...

reflective, meditative, and peaceful. 

Happy New Year to you, and to everyone. 

Happy New Year to you, too, Juicy, and may you win lots of chess games in the coming year!

Nice