A wonderful and tragic Ballard @letalis-laetitia

But had only found the bottle
and drank it to his end.

There are many points to recommend this poem from a technical standpoint:

He had poured his heart out
between pouring whiskey rye

The repetition here of the image of 'pouring' works to reinforce the imagery of pouring ones heart out. It underpins that alcoholic maudlin malady that an alcoholic gets, that wallowing in sorrow as the drink flows.

But not one who drank with him
had seen the man beneath

They had nodded to his stories
aye they raised a glass in cheers
But each had looked the other way
as his whiskey mixed with tears

Beautifully tragic and poignant if you've ever worked in a pub and seen this type of lonely soul. Interesting in their own way, but trapped in a land of memory.

I also love that you accomplished the challenge so well. The ballad rhymed and followed structure, and it told a story through action.

Thanks for joining in the poetry challenge and welcome to The Ink Well community :)