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.
