Lindsey Duncan
Vinespeak
The vintner faithful listens to what the vines might say:
the murmur of Mourvèdre dark,
the voice of Viognier.
Seedlings cradled in anemic clay
peep like the nestlings of a lark;
the vintner faithful listens to what the vines might say.
Creeping, winding, trellis trained or untamed splay,
the grapevines wait for sun and soil to spark
the voice of Viognier.
Mature, veraison iridescence ablaze,
the grapes clamor for freedom; to make his mark,
the vintner faithful listens to what the vines might say.
Slumbering, clasped in oak or steel barrel’s sway,
grape must rumbles, its rambling remark
the voice of Viognier.
Poured from darkness into day,
Wine sings full-throated, gold or blush or dark.
The vintner faithful listens to what the vines might say,
and hears the phoenix voice of Viognier.
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Lindsey Duncan is a chef / pastry chef (CPC CSW), professional Celtic harp performer, and life-long writer with short fiction and poetry in numerous speculative fiction publications, such as Octavos, Every Day Poets, Sybil’s Garage, Strong Verse, Haven Spec, and Abyss and Apex. She feels that music and language are inextricably linked. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and can be found on the web at http://www.LindseyDuncan.com
Author’s Backstory/Crafting Elements: In both poetry and prose, I’ve always been fascinated by fixed forms. I love the challenge of finding creative paths through the structure. My first encounter with poetry was the pantoum, where two of the lines in each quatrain repeat in the next, creating a back-and-forth dance of meaning. Villanelles are a little less maddening.
In my non-writing life, I’m in the culinary field. Wine has always been an area of interest. I first visited vineyards in Virginia and North Carolina, where Viognier – a uniquely aromatic white wine – is widely grown, and newbies try to pronounce it phonetically. (It’s Vee-on-YAY). So, of course, my contrary self felt compelled to incorporate it into a rhyme scheme. The terminology I learned while studying for Certified Specialist of Wine grew upon the trellis of the other lines.
Editor’s Comments/Image Credit: The photograph of the Viognier grape cluster on the vine was provided by Adobe Firefly presenting a commercially-safe image