Under the Influence: Red Wine

*Wine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice... (Shiraz is my favorite)*

Red wine
How do I love thee?
Let me sip the ways...

I lust love red wine, and it loves me back... (Don't judge me) I lust poetry, and it loves me back... I think poetry is a lot like red wine. Let's explore:

• Red wine is reported to be good for the heart. I think my poetry (or anyone's genuine expression of poetry for that matter) is beneficial literally and figuratively. In the literal sense I think anything that relieves stress or brings pleasure to your soul is quite positive for the health of your heart. It surely can't hurt. Also, anything evoking emotion, even sadness or anger, is a good exercise for you heart (soul), things like sympathy, empathy, caring, love must be practiced and poetry is a pretty good calisthenic plan.



• Red wine stains. Trust me, I know. (Don't judge me). I think any great expression leaves an indelible mark on you. For example, I will share one of my favorite poems written by one of my favorite poets. In the poem I will share, Nikki Giovanni speaks of how the lacking of a freedom of choice affects the human spirit. This piece left me with the mark on me to analyze and make use of the things I DO have the choice over. In her short poem I changed an entire piece of my thinking. This is an example of a large stain that OxyClean is not getting out, but other pieces may only leave a drop, but they touch you nonetheless... this is the piece I was referring to:

CHOICES, by Nikki Giovanni

if i can't do
what i want to do
then my job is to not
do what i don't want
to do

it's not the same thing
but it's the best i can
do

if i can't have
what i want . . . then
my job is to want
what i've got
and be satisfied
that at least there
is something more to want

since i can't go
where i need
to go . . . then i must . . . go
where the signs point
through always understanding
parallel movement
isn't lateral

when i can't express
what i really feel
i practice feeling
what i can express
and none of it is equal
i know
but that's why mankind
alone among the animals
learns to cry

• Red wine tends to be an acquired taste. I have found that poetry is the same way. The way I approached a glass of red wine for the first time is the same way I approached reading poetry. It was a foreign expression, a little bitter at times, and was only thought of as a broad topic. Now when I sip red wine I enjoy it, the full body, the richness. Also I now recognize the subtle nuances, be it a Shiraz, Merlot, or Cabernet. I can identify the notes and quality. Just like I now have haiku, sonnets, odes, love poems, etc.

• Wine gets better with time. As you live, learn, and grow, so does my (and hopefully yours) appreciation of poetry.

What in your life is like red wine?