Another hangover on a sunny Sunday.
I wake up dead
and crawl out of bed, crawl
to the nearest water source,
a fountain of life,
and drink like a man who was just saved
from hell.
In hell, there’s no water,
but there are fountains you can drink from,
fountains of spirits that do not quench your thirst,
but dehydrate you instead
and dry up every stream of thought that once flowed
in your head.
Name: Château Kefraya Les Exceptions Cabernet-Sauvignon 2016
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet-Sauvignon
Year: 2016
Country: Lebanon
Region: Beqaa Valley
Date Consumed: January 21, 2024
Sweet black cherry,
sweeter than the average cabernet-sauvignon wines I’m used to,
sweeter than the dream I had about you.
Medium tannins. Ripe fruits,
riper than the apple picked by the viper
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
A sip of sin, the original sin,
which simply means: “Now that you know,
you’re responsible.”
A sip of sin so pleasurable
I hear you pant,
see you undress, pull down your pants,
and wait for me.
Name: Monastère de Rechmaya 2012
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet-Franc
Year: 2012
Country: Lebanon
Region: Chouf
Date Consumed: December 9, 2023
It was cold outside,
not as cold as it should have been,
but cold enough for wine to be drunk
to warm our spirits.
“Such a lovely restaurant,” one of us said
as we let the waiter lead us to our table.
Our table faced the fireplace —
“Such a lovely fireplace!” —
where the gentle fire performed
a belly dance.
We ordered arak first,
and then wine,
and then mezze.
And we talked until
our stomachs were full.
I must say,
This is the kindest December I’ve ever met.
It has rained a few times
but not enough times to convince people
that a new season has come.
