With Chardonnay

Last night I ate the dry apricots,
with Chardonnay, that we saved
for a Persian stew of minted lamb
— sunlight taken to the teeth
with velvet, teasing out bitters
that anger the tongue.
Sweet and lively —
the simplest way of renouncing
every chewed yesterday.

Image: Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Revised for d’Verse’s Quadrille challenge “In praise of the grape”: https://dversepoets.com/2021/04/05/quadrille-125-in-praise-of-the-grape/

31 Thoughts

  1. Love this! And yes, those dried apricots that never get around to be part of the Persian stew! I can so relate as often I have purchased dry apricots and dates for a Moroccan dish but then have forgotten all about cooking it! So nice with a glass of wine though!

  2. Sounds divine, dry apricots with Chardonnay (although for me it would have to be alcohol-free). I love the phrases ‘sunlight taken to the teeth with velvet’ and ‘every chewed yesterday’. Your apricots also reminded me of William Carols Williams’ ‘plums that were in the icebox’.

  3. So interesting, Devon. I’d love to know your thoughts behind the last two lines. Is it a reference to the effects of alcohol? This poem was gorgeous.


    David

    1. I’d say the last two lines for me were about enjoying the gifts of a moment, putting away angers and regrets to relish what is available now, rather than hoard such joys for some abstract tomorrow. Thank you for asking.

      D

    1. Thank you much and thanks for the prompt. These Quadrilles are not easy, lol. The restriction to 44 words makes you measure the impact of each — keep the article, drop the article, how’s the rhythm, is that conjunction really necessary, etc.

      D

  4. Oh my goodness this is beautiful!!!!! It feels like a found poem. Like William Carlos Williams’ red wheelbarrow. Do you know that one? But I like yours even better. It’s so gorgeously impromptu (seeming) and the images are sensational. Just beautiful. I must write it down in a notebook. Ha ha I just noticed that Kim881 also referenced William Carlos Williams. Different poem but same idea.

  5. I especially like the phrase…”the simplest way of renouncing
    every chewed yesterday”.
    The Persian stew with minted lamb sounds amazing.

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