I am wine as it comes
from a bottle or a box. I am nectar
of the gods,
stomped under men’s feet,
placed in a cask or casket,
in damp cellars. I am
sweet and slightly toxic.
I have legs. I will give you
my warm body, my delicate,
almost acrid nose. I will
knock you on your sweet ass.
I am fine wine. I am
the grapes God—
the one true god’s wrath.
As the day breaks, I am
another pressurized cranium,
a numb reminder of excess,
a subtle sense of regret,
stomped under men’s feet.
-
"Grapes of Wrath" received a 3rd-place award in Ohio Poetry Day
2022 poetry contest #12, Non-traditional Narrator. It is published in the
contest's compilation book, Ohio Poetry
Day: Best of 2022.
Eric
