poesimania

September 22, 2010


poesimania
The first one's free.

They said it was an acquired taste;
fine wines painting impressionist portraits
upon nurtured taste buds.
Large barrel-like bottles of table whites and reds
lead to Chardonnays and Merlots
          soft, supple and complex...
          brimming with plush cherry...
          and jammy blackberries followed by
          hints of vanilla and spice;
samplings of Pinot Grigio
          opening with seductive floral
          and lemon aromas, followed by notes
          of mineral and tropical flavors;
glasses of Reisling
          made in an off-dry style
          accentuating delicate notes of...
          stone-fruit flavors...white peach and apricot...
          deliciously mingled with hints of Anjou pear
          and bursts of jasmine;
a bottle of Trivento 2008 Malbec,
          a bright carmine red
          whose plum and raspberry jam aromas
          mingle elegantly with vanilla notes
          from the 6 months aged in French oak barrels;
to a case of 2001 Nebbiolo,
          garnet-red...with ruby reflections...
          scents of roses, vanilla, roasted hazelnuts,
          licorice and spices...
          pleasant touch of tar and
          oaky notes in perfect equilibrium.
All served with aged cheeses, wafer thin crackers,
and fresh fruits upon a tray of silver or Malaysian bamboo.

What they didn't say
was that once acquired
required constant feeding
like heroin or crack
crawling up your spine
chasing monkeys without wings
things that go bump in the day
days without end
nights with no sleep
creepy, crawly flesh
less like a man than a worm
squirming through your veins
raining on your parade
a charade of death walking
in a daze of confused words
and guttural phrases spewed out
through black and broken teeth
spittal running down the jawbone
of a diseased mind
I'll find it this time
I swear I'll pay you back
just one more
please, God, let it make sense.

I buy chapbooks like dime bags
          and hide them from my wife.