by Barbara Nuzzo

Picnic dreams at Carnegie Lake

I know exactly what we’ll take,

a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese

chilled wine to toast a summer breeze.

With eagerness I contemplate

a chardonnay that rules our fate.

Will it give up its nectar sweet

or leave me panting in defeat?

I gather tools, prepared to fight

against its cork with all my might.

I’ll win this silly tug of war,

remove the guard and deftly pour.

One swift twist with foil cutter

rids the bottle of its clutter

and bares the cork for all to see

what stands between my wine and me.

Corkscrew poised, I’m at the ready

making sure my hand is steady

to guide it in its major role

of helping me achieve my goal.

The cork resists, puts up a fight

but soon surrenders to the bite

of curly metal plunging through,

its single-minded task to do.

I ease the cork up to the top

until I hear the subtle pop

that signifies the job is done,

this tug of war I’ve safely won.

The corkscrew’s magic is complete

with cork removed all nice and neat.

I taste a sip with sated grin.

My trusty friend made sure I’d win.

I’ve stowed away my battle tools,

relaxing as the evening cools.

The chardonnay is ours to share,

an apt reward of wine warfare.

Barbara Nuzzo lives with her husband Ray in North Brunswick. She’s a founding member of Sisters in Crime-Central Jersey and writes mystery stories, non-fiction stories and poetry. Her work has appeared in U.S. 1, Woman’s World, and various anthologies. She loves to travel and escapes to far off places whenever possible and, of course, there’s always wine.

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