wine serenade

the bottle was well aged

he wiped the dust off the label

carefully removed the foil

gently pulled out the cork

the aroma from the cork

was a tantalizing clue

this wine was going to be special

he left it to breathe a while

that first pour sent his heart racing

swirling and swishing

deep purple beads rained down the glass

it was time to check the nose

an explosion of fresh berries

wild meadow honey

a slight hint of pepper

bold aromas all fighting to grab his attention

he took a small sip

closed his eyes

tasting the full body

his heartbeat slowed

the long smooth finish was divine

he opened his eyes

poured a full  glass

sat down to read his book

it was hard to concentrate on the text

each sip of this elegant fermented grape juice

took his mind elsewhere

this wine was gently singing to him

how to check in on yourself

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Pour a glass of wine

Play your favorite music

Close your eyes

Listen

Lose yourself for a while

Turn off the music

Go to a very quiet room

Listen 

Listen very hard

Politely ask your thoughts to be quiet

Listen

Ignore those persistent thoughts and they will go away

Breathe 

Close your eyes

Listen

Hold your breath

Listen to your heart beating

Say thanks to your heart

Breathe again

Let your thoughts back in slowly

Listen 

Reject all the negative thoughts

Embrace the positive thoughts

Pour yourself another glass of wine

Enjoy

Repeat daily

Billy reunited with Bobby – Part 5 Finale

Billy sat in the FBI cell with his attorney who said it was not looking good

THE FBI found DNA from the dead undercover agent on you and Bobby

You have Both been charged with murder and their case is solid

I could negotiate a plea bargain if you plead guilty and agree to cooperate with the FBI

Others you are facing the death penalty and will end up being recycled

Billy shook his head in defiance saying I am innocent and so is Bobby

The robbers killed that agent and Bobby even tried to help

The attorney shook his head and collected his papers leaving Billy alone

Billy was determined to fight his innocence all the way

He retraced in his mind every single moment leading up to the robbery

Trying to remember every word that was said and everything he saw there 

He requested his attorney to visit him again

Billy told him he remembered one of the robbers was taking pictures with a cell phone

Presumably to record details how how much wine they were taking

We have to find those pictures to prove our innocence said Billy

His attorney confirmed that a cell phone was recovered from the robbers

But there were no photographs because the phone had been wiped clean

I know somebody who could trace those photos said Billy

His name is Hugo and he lives in a wine cellar in Potomac

I spent a few years in that wine rack alongside Hugo 

Every evening he jumps off the rack and uses the home computer network

Hugo is an expert hacker who can find anything on the internet

You have to go tell Hugo that I need his help

The attorney visited Hugo who listened intensely and agreed to help

Give me twenty four hours said Hugo and I will find the photos for Billy

Just give me the exact location of the vineyard where this all took place

That night Hugo was able to trace the nearest cell towers

He wrote a program to analyze all the traffic from those towers on that day

When the attorney came back the next day Hugo handed him the photos

The robber had texted the photos to his crime boss before wiping the phone clean

You can clearly see the agent being knocked off the table by the robbers

Billy was set free after his attorney gave the photos to the FBI

But Bobby and the Bordeaux brigade of bottles were not released

Under federal law only bottles of US citizenship can be refilled

All other bottles had to go to recycling so Bobby and his gang were all doomed

Billy however was not ready to give up on his friend and hatched another plan

He wrote to the President of the United States requesting clemency for his friends

Billy was taken back at the vineyard for rebottling and he prayed for a miracle

A few weeks later Bobby and the Bordeaux gang showed up

Their French labels were all covered in stamps from US immigration

Each of them was holding a US citizenship certificate after renouncing French citizenship 

 Bobby hugged Billy and thanked him for saving them all

Billy told Bobby it was time he dropped his dumb French accent

Soon you will be full of Virginia wine so get used to being an American he added

Maybe we can watch the nascar race on TV later and then shoot some pool

C’est magnifique replied Bobby with a wincing smile as he gave Billy a big high five

Billy reunited with Bobby- Part 4

The gang moved quickly to grab every case of wine

One of them whispered lets grab all the uncased bottles

There were a few dozen full bottles on a table

A full bottle fell to the floor while the robbers loaded the cases 

Wine spilled everywhere as the bottle exploded on the concrete floor

The robbers froze for a moment concerned that the noise might attract attention

Casing up the loose bottles soon resumed until they had everything

Bobby and his escapees lay motionless on the floor during the raid

Jumping up as soon as the big sliding door closed shut

Bobby ran over to the broken bottle to check on him

He could find no pulse on his neck and pronounced him dead

The Bordeaux ladies started to weep at the loss and Bobby comforted them

Bobby was covered in the spilled wine which stained his label

Are you still planning to escape from here asked Billy

Absolument declared Bobby in a strong French accent

Zis is no place for us fine French vintage aristocrats

Too many of you rougeneck peasants in zis classless old shed

Billy jumped down and grabbed Bobby by the neck

Nobody calls me a redneck you bourgeois snob yelled Billy

The other bottles formed a circle as Billy and Bobby exchanged punches on the floor

Suddenly the big sliding door slid open and a voice yelled FBI nobody move

A bottle walked in wearing a police cap carrying a gun

There were a dozen more following him all wearing FBI labels

I am FBI special agent Stone he announced and you are under suspicion

Bobby jumped up and defiantly screamed we are all innocent

We will see about that said the FBI agent as his men searched the place

Officer down yelled one of the agents as he knelt beside the broken bottle

Special agent Stone walked over and pulled off the local label from the corpse

Revealing an FBI label underneath he announced that this was now a murder investigation

The thieves were stopped on the highway and they admitted it was an inside job

We had this place under surveillance and one of our boys was working undercover

But now he is dead and we are going find out who is responsible

We are all innocent officer yelled Bobby as he desperately tried to disguise his accent

The FBI agent laughed saying its usually the guilty ones who plead innocence the loudest

He walked up to Bobby noting his label was all crooked and covered in fresh wine

And what might your name be under this badly fitting label he asked

My name is Bobby from Virginia and I swear I did not kill anybody officer

The French accent was a dead giveaway that Bobby was lying 

The FBI agent peeled the label off Bobby and placed it in an evidence bag

A very suspicious crude disguise Monsieur Bobby said the FBI agent in a mock French accent

We will have your label DNA tested to see if its linked to this murder

In the meantime all you empties are coming down to HQ for interrogation

The Bordeaux ladies burst into tears again as they were all led to the FBI van outside

What a mess thought Billy as he sat in the back of the FBI van

Billy reunited with Bobby- Part 3

Billy saw the big trash can marked recycling

If he went in there it was certain death

Broken into pieces before carrying off to be melted down

He felt a hand grab his neck and he knew it was all over

Bobby shouted be brave Billy who saw his whole life flash before him

Billy recalled all the happy times laying in a wine rack and making friends

He remembered being served at birthday parties and anniversaries 

He closed his eyes when he was just about to be dropped into recycling

Suddenly a voice yelled that is only for the broken glass 

Billy was soon back in the crate next to Bobby 

That was a close call whispered Bobby but Billy did not reply

He was overcome by the emotion of having his life spared

Soon the crate was stacked with other crates and speeding to the local vineyard

It was a short journey in the back of a pickup truck

Bobby asked Billy what the vineyard was like

He wanted to know if was similar to his Bordeaux home

I am afraid this is a lot more rustic than you are used to said Billy

This place is nothing like your French chateau

Its a converted barn and everything is done with volunteers by hand 

The truck pulled into the yard and Bobby scowled this place is a redneck dump

This is not fit for us prestigious French Bordeaux bottles he announced

He was stirring up his compatriots and urging them to escape with him

Billy and the other local wine bottles started laughing

Its a long walk from Virginia to the East Coast they chuckled

Oh and good luck crossing the Atlantic

Here take a cork and float yourself back to France

The Bordeaux bottles formed an escape committee and held meetings in French

Billy tried to convince Bobby his plans were doomed but he would not listen

Their crate was placed on a table in the barn and the big doors were closed

Bobby told Billy his team was ready to head back to France

Billy noted that Bobby suddenly had a much stronger French accent

You will never make it to the coast talking like that said Billy

And your French labels are a dead giveaway

Bobby jumped out of the crate and picked up a pile of local labels from another table

Handing them out to his Bordeaux crew as their disguise

They crudely stuck the new tables over their old French labels in readiness

They lined up alongside the door and waited for the signal from Bobby

It was a long cool night of waiting but eventually the door started to open

On y vas screamed Bobby as his compatriots yelled Vive la France

Billy shook his head in disbelief at this foolish escapade

The big door slid open and sent all the Bordeaux bottles spinning

They had forgotten it was a sliding door

Three men wearing balaclavas entered the barn and started grabbing cases of full wine

They stacked all the cases in a van parked outside

I think we are witnessing a robbery whispered Billy

Billy reunited with Bobby – Part 2

Billy and Bobby were chatting away

They paused when the servers came in

More empty bottles were added to the crate

Bobby warmly greeted his fellow Bordeaux bottles

They outnumbered the local vineyard by two to one

Billy made fun of the Bordeaux crowd

Saying they will all lose their fancy labels soon

When they get filled with the local wine

The dinner party ended and the kitchen staff cleaned up

Soon all the staff had gone and the house went quiet

The crate of empty bottles started to talk

They all knew each other from the wine cellar

Now they were empty it was time to party

A few of the bottles raided the fridge for leftovers

While Billy and Bobby looted the drinks cabinet

They laid all the food on the kitchen table

While chugging shots of the finest malt whisky

Oh my said Bobby this stuff is really powerful

Be careful said Billy you are only used to drinking wine

Bobby ignored his advice and was soon totally hammered

They devoured all the leftovers and demolished the whisky

Somebody turned on the radio and the dancing started

They danced on the chairs and on the counter tops

It got crowded when they all danced on the table

One of the Claret bottles started to break dance

He was spinning and doing back flips

All the other bottles watched from the edge of the table

Everybody was clapping to the music and laughing

A Bordeaux bottle lost his balance and fell from the table

Crashing onto the kitchen floor and breaking

Somebody turned the music off and they all went quiet

The poor old Bordeaux bottle was now just chards

One of the bottles started to weep

Everybody back in the crate now yelled Billy

I can hear footsteps on the stairs

The kitchen door opened and a man in pajamas went to the fridge

He never even noticed the broken glass on the floor

Luckily he was wearing slippers and did not cut himself

He left soon after guzzling a carton of milk

The empty wine bottles all slept in a drunken stupor 

Only to be rudely awoken the next morning

The kitchen staff were clearing up the mess

Complaining about the master of the house and his midnight feasts

Somebody picked up the crate of empty wine bottles

Where are we going now asked Billy

Bobby was afraid to answer as he feared they were all heading to the trash

Billy reunited with Bobby- Part 1

Billy the wine bottle of slept in a rack

He was undisturbed for many years

Maturing in a cool dark cellar

He got to know so well all the other wine bottles

They chatted for hours on end in the cellar

Telling stories about where they came from

How the warm sun shone on their grapes

Who happily gave up their juices to make fine wine

On one late afternoon all the bottles were napping

Billy woke to the sound of footsteps

There is somebody coming he warned the others

Billy knew there were only two possibilities

Either new wine was arriving

Or somebody would be taken away to be drank

Billy had seen many of his old friends carried off

The bottles stopped chatting as the footsteps got closer 

Billy closed his eyes hoping that he would be chosen

Suddenly he felt a hand around his neck

He was pulled off the rack with a jerk

The other bottles whispered good luck Billy

Billy was excited about the prospect of being drank

He was dusted off before his cork was pulled

Placed on a large table to breathe

He could smell the gourmet food close to him

He looked around the table at the smiling faces

A large dinner party with eight couples

The ladies looked stunning in their fine dresses

All the men wore dinner jackets

This was going to be fun thought Billy

Billy was soon on his side again as his wine was poured

He listened to the speeches and the applause

Watched them all eat delicious food as his wine was sipped

He was so honored to add to the pleasure of the group

Listening intensely to their fascinating conversations

More of his wine was poured into a glass

Billy felt empty inside

Sudden he was grabbed off the table

Taken into the kitchen by a server

She had very rough hands noted Billy

She placed Billy in a large crate with the other empty bottles

They would stay there until it was time for rebottling at the vineyard 

Billy recognized his old friend Bobby Bordeaux and they started chatting

Life is sweet said Billy with a smug sigh

Bobby grinned and replied and so is your wine Billy

……….to be continued………..

just what I needed

I woke up at 5am with a terrible dry mouth

fortunately I had a glass of water on the nightstand 

instant relief once my mouth was rehydrated

just what I needed

my mind was wide awake now

I crept downstairs to the kitchen

made myself a cup of hot green tea

just what I needed

it was pitch black outside

everything was quiet

the perfect time for some creative writing

just what I needed

I sat down at my computer

emptied my mind and let my imagination run free

the words flowed freely onto the screen

just what I needed

a few hours later dawn began to break

I stepped outside to watch the sunrise

the birds sang as the sun crept over the horizon

just what I needed

I checked the tire pressures on my bike

clipped in a couple of water bottles

set off for a 30 mile ride

just what I needed

I came home refreshed and invigorated

but somewhat grimy

I stepped into a hot steamy shower

just what I needed

it was still only 10.30am

I planned to achieve a whole lot more during the day

my first task was a short meditation session

just what I needed

At the end of a busy and very productive day

I paused to reflect on the miracle of life

I poured a glass of wine

just what I needed

I wondered if the wine was the cause of my early morning dry mouth

not willing to give up drinking wine in the evenings

I took a glass of water to bed

just what I needed

from cocktails to heaven

its cocktail hour

pour stiff one

reflect on day

light conversation

light hors d’oeuvres

whet the appetite

dinner in the oven

aromas fill kitchen

roast garlic scent

fresh chopped herbs

smells leak out

towards dining room

drinks evaporate fast

pour second one

peek in oven

baked salmon happy

looks so divine

back to conversation

enquire about dinner

origin of recipe

source of ingredients

fresh local vegetables

from farm stand 

fish from boat

farm to table

sea to plate

finish hors d’oeuvres

cocktail last sip

open wine bottles

dinner is served

pour wine slowly

pause a moment

look at plate

hold hands together

give sincere thanks

compliment chef

taste salmon

slow blink

eat vegetables

slow blink

sip wine

close eyes

gone to heaven

open eyes

not a dream

drink wine

eat salmon

sip water

still in heaven