Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Grapes of Wrath

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.
 
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"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