begins with a spark
and later
an alchemy
begins at a cedar wood and
finishes on butter smooth and strange
lederhosen, lederhosen babbling brook
still in that wood green to red to smoked
blackberries vining at the periphery
a silk, fragrant drift –
peppertree on my tongue

and at last breath
he is tart, focused
and dark night falls in

his hand drops the glass

Note to reader: This piece was written on the occasion of a Thursday Night Wine Tasting at Zillie’s Island Pantry on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. The lovely staff and the wines and food pairings they presented served as my inspiration. My gratitude to David, William, Will and Mackie Bell. Cheers!

PS. To anyone that is reading this, I implore you to go to Zillie’s if ever you find yourself on the island. You will not regret it.