Wineless

(A 2020 poem)

I went shopping today and was left wineless
by the current unrestricted madness.

That new recipe calls for some wine.
But wine is off-limits until Monday at 9.
That’s another 40 hours without a drop of wine.

I was going to dine like a queen,
But the wine remains unmovable, unmoved
by my predicament,
Behind the plastic screen.

Honestly, how could I know
That wine is not to be sold
During the weekend curfew?
Damn, I could totally do
with a bottle or a few
cartons,
or gallons,
or barrels
of wine!

I say – ‘It’s for cooking’.
But they nod at me – ‘No’.
I have been dreaming of a little Barolo,
Amarone, or just any wine,
dry, oaky, pomegranate sweet.

Running out of wine is unpleasant, indeed.
What d’you do, when you feel the overwhelming need
to indulge in a sip of red or of white?
(Rosé just doesn’t count as a proper wine.)

The benefits of wine are too many to list.
It’s good for the heart.
Conversations flow with more ease
as the contents of the decanter decrease.
Dishes are more delicious when cooked with some wine.

People have had it since the beginning of time.
Enjoyed by artists and thinkers, and people quite high
(whose giant cellars must have never-ending supplies!),
Wine is essential; it’s priceless.
So, to be left completely wineless
On the randomest December afternoon is kind of odd.

A 4-day New Year curfew
has just been announced.
Forgetful shoppers,
get your wine well in advance!