Wine is poetry in a bottle.
The words, the lines of each poem
Escape the mouths of those who sip
And need to tell you
About bouquet, aroma,
Fruit, nuts, or the hint of
Spice from an aged wooden barrel.
If you don't get wine, it seems strange
That that’s all detectable to a palette.
It’s like, if you don't get sports,
Listening to someone explain
The importance of mixing pitches,
Or throwing to the right base,
Or when it's best to hit and run.
I don’t get wine, but I understand
The subtleties of flavor
The breathing, timing, and twirling.
There are subtleties, too,
On a baseball diamond as
The players perform the
Graceful ballet of infield practice.
Photo credit: NARA & DVIDS Public Domain Archive
