“Praying Drunk,” by Andrew Hudgins
July 9, 2010
Blank verse today like rats on stilts, except , of course, it’s beautiful.
Laugh if you like, but this is often the poem I think of when I hear William Wordsworth’s well-known definition of poetry: “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” Because one overflows late at night and well-sloshed, but rewrites like this next afternoon at the earliest.
I read “Praying Drunk” from Rebel Angels: 25 Poets of the New Formalism, edited by Mark Jarman and David Mason (Story Line, 1996).
Thanks, Shanna, for requesting it.
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Belly up, it's A Poetry Feed. 
It’s a beautiful poem. I’m definitely going to keep coming back.
What about Hudgins’ When the Weak Lamb Dies? That poem settled my love for the art and for the reading aloud of the art.
Bravo.
My husband and I have a dear friend. He’s a drunk. He’s not drunk every single day or night because he’s trying to stay sober. This could be his drunk prayer except I imagine his would be even more revealing and humorous and beautiful and sad. I’ve never heard him pray, but I’ve heard his drunk ramblings when he calls us on the phone from across town.
“the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” Ummm. This is what often happens on my husband and my country drives, but without pen and paper.
Karsten – Wonderful. I read this poem in my undergrad Poets After 1960 course at Nebraska, but I hadn’t read it in ages. Thanks for reminding me of it. Def. one of my favorites.
Thanks for the kind words, all. That’s a good suggestion, Kosmos. I’ll keep it in my hip pocket for another day soon.