John Watt Poet Sonnet

Notes About The Poem

The 59th Street Bridge Over Troubled Waters

On 59th Street, there's a bridge I know
where people, feeling groovy, go to walk.
The sounds of silence: troubled waters flow -
A homeless man cries out, "I am a rock!"
Late in the evening, me and Julio
down by the schoolyard shoot some hoops and shred
as falls a hazy shade of winter snow.
"Who loves me like a rock?" I turn my head
and kiss her cheek. Like bookends, old friends chat
the dangling conversation. She replies,
"I'm Mrs Robinson now, and that's that!"
The only living boy in New York sighs;
  Cecilia whispers, "Bye bye, love" with tears.
  Guess I'm still crazy after all these years. 

*** Being a lifelong fan of Paul Simon, I got ***
*** some help from the following 15 song titles: ***

         The Sounds of Silence  /  Homeless  /  I Am A Rock
         Late in the Evening  /  Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
         A Hazy Shade of Winter  /  Loves Me Like a Rock / Bookends
         Old Friends  / The Dangling Conversation / Mrs Robinson
         The Only Living Boy in New York / Cecilia / Bye Bye Love
         Still Crazy After All These Years 

*** ...and these two songs were indirectly referenced: ***
        Bridge Over Troubled Water
        The 59th St Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)

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Connie Marcum Wong May 21, 2020 at 3:10 PM I am back to congratulate you on a poem I knew would be a winner! xxoo John Watt May 21, 2020 at 4:46 PM Thank you my dear, I should never have doubted you! Hugs ~ John

Aditi Mishra May 21, 2020 at 12:36 AM Dropping by again to congratulate you on your win for this well-researched sonnet dear friend. I wish it was placed higher in the list. You have surely put a lot of thought into this John :) Aditi Mishra May 21, 2020 at 2:58 AM They say the labor of love is as fruitful as a gift of God. Enjoy writing more each day dear friend. Your words are a source of inspiration. Have a beautiful week :) John Watt May 21, 2020 at 12:39 AM Thank you Aditi for your vote of confidence! You are a kind friend. It was a labor of love, really! No hard feelings. It is such a joy to be able to enter contests and read what others have written that the placement is secondary. I appreciate you very much... have a beautiful day today. I am about to go to bed but your day is still ahead of you. Blessings, John

Eve Roper May 20, 2020 at 10:45 PM Great way to write the poem, John, congratulations on your win. Hugs Eve John Watt May 20, 2020 at 11:46 PM Thanks, my good friend. Your support always means a lot to me. Hugs ~ John

Sam Kauffman May 20, 2020 at 10:07 PM Very clever, John. Simon and Garfunkel are among my favorites. They wrote with brilliance. Love the way you wove all these songs into a tribute to two of our favorites while crafting them into the theme. Love this and, as I head for the clubhouse, am singing about a bridge on 59th street to the sounds of silence from the stands! Congratulations my musical buddy and friend! John Watt May 20, 2020 at 11:15 PM Sam, what are some of your favorite songs of theirs? (Oh, by the way, thanks for another great comment!)

Krish Radhakrishna May 20, 2020 at 4:45 PM Clever poem John! It is important to be different and this one is! Congrats on your win!! John Watt May 20, 2020 at 6:37 PM Thanks for the thumbs up, Krish!

John Hamilton May 20, 2020 at 4:10 PM Thanks for your entry John, I enjoyed all the titles you used in your sonnet, I had to reward your hard work with a great 3rd place! John Watt May 20, 2020 at 4:13 PM John, thanks for the contest and the generous reward. Looking forward to reading all the winners you selected ~ John

John Gondolf May 18, 2020 at 10:32 PM Paul Simon was such a wonderful poet and this sonnet pays a wonderful tribute. Nicely penned, John, best of luck in the contest. John John Watt May 18, 2020 at 11:12 PM Thank you John! I fully agree about Paul Simon and because of his musical talents (and early affiliation with the amazing voice of Art Garfunkel) we still hear his poetry on our radios and stereos!

Connie Marcum Wong May 15, 2020 at 7:01 PM I just adore this clever creation because I remember all these songs I love to listen to still. I can see this entry in the foot lights! xxoo John Watt May 15, 2020 at 7:09 PM Thank you, Connie! I'm finding there are a number of Paul Simon fans on the Soup. Can't wait to read the other entries to this fascinating contest. I'm with you; I still sing those songs frequently and play the CDs any chance I get. Hugs ~ John

Andrea Dietrich May 15, 2020 at 4:28 PM wow, I could tell what you were doing all along, being a huge Paul Simon fan myself. This is really great work, John. I wish I had thought of this idea. I need to go outside now and try to think how the heck to do MINE. John Watt May 15, 2020 at 4:48 PM Yes, I think you told me once how much you enjoy Paul Simon songs. Can't wait to read your entry! I bet there are a lot of PS fans on PS!

Michelle Faulkner May 15, 2020 at 12:16 PM I'm a Simon & Garfunkel fan, and love how you blend their song titles so seamlessly into this sad, yearning, nostalgic sonnet! I especially like the 'hazy shade of winter snow' line (in case you're curious, my personal favorites are 'I am a rock' ' Cecilia' and 'Bookends') John Watt May 15, 2020 at 4:47 PM Are you going to enter the Bridge Over Troubled Waters contest? If so, I can't wait to read what you put together! John Watt May 15, 2020 at 4:46 PM "Time it was, and what a time it was, it was..." His poetry sung to the simple instrumentation and soaring harmonies just really does it for me. Glad to know you are a fan, Michelle, plus your three personal favorites. My top 3 are more obscure: Gone At Last, Cloudy, and Train In The Distance. Thanks for the great comment, my friend

Joanna Daniel May 15, 2020 at 9:51 AM Now combining song titles into a sonnet is hard work, I must say, and you have done that very well, John:) loved the ending:) John Watt May 15, 2020 at 10:08 AM It did take some time, but this was a labor of love, Jo. He is one of my three favorite songwriters of all time, and this was my tribute to him. Thank you so much for reading and leaving me your lovely comment. Hope your day is beautiful ~ John

Eileen Manassian May 14, 2020 at 9:39 PM What an interesting collection of song titles. Glad I read the footnote because... I'll admit I was a little confused. I don't know most of the songs, but what interesting titles. Good luck.. John Watt May 15, 2020 at 10:06 AM Eileen, so kind of you to leave your thoughtful comment even with a confusing poem. I'll admit, the audience for this poem is narrowed down to those familiar with the songs of Paul Simon. If you get a chance to listen to any of his songs, I think you'll find he's one of the most poetic songwriters of all time. "The Sound of Silence" is the one that made him famous... awesome words. Hugs ~ John

Gordon Mcconnell May 14, 2020 at 10:16 AM A rather well-penned piece John, with great preparation too making it all the more a worthy read. Blessings always, Gordon John Watt May 14, 2020 at 10:40 AM I'm glad you enjoyed it, my friend and considered it a worthy read. All is much the same here, hope you are doing well, safely locked down in your home ~ John

Mark Koplin May 14, 2020 at 9:19 AM That was so enjoyable to read. A very nice piece of art my friend. You did your homework on this one. Good job! John Watt May 14, 2020 at 10:39 AM Mark, the easy part was eliminating the song titles that were too long, too obscure, or not iambic enough! No way I was going to use "A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)" haha! Thanks for the great comment!

Mike Gentile May 14, 2020 at 9:11 AM I really love this John. So fun to read while telling a story and evoking so many memories,'good Luck !! John Watt May 14, 2020 at 10:34 AM Glad you liked this, Mike. It was fun trying to weave some semblance of a story out of these great song titles. I'll always be a Paul Simon fan ~ John

Aditi Mishra May 14, 2020 at 5:49 AM You have done this exceptionally well John! The representation of those simple feelings of love and loss through those song titles. Creativity of this level in a sonnet is brilliant. I really wish to see this placed well in the contest. :) John Watt May 14, 2020 at 10:33 AM Thank you for your wonderful comment, Aditi. I hope your day is going well. All the best, John

Tom Cunningham May 14, 2020 at 3:51 AM Very creative John, they were talented musicians , I still listen to them. Hope you're well Tom John Watt May 14, 2020 at 10:32 AM Thank you Tom, I'm the same. I put them on the stereo quite a bit and enjoy the nostalgia wash over me. Best to you ~ John