I eye the bourbon, the color of honey,
then dab my index and pointer fingers
into the surface of the liquid, catching
a bead or two of the liquor there
where the digits meet, I briskly inhale
to immerse my nostrils in the caramel pungency
of whiskey there at the tips – I follow
with the lightest of touches of the amber to my upper lip,
just a daub to get better acquainted, a deep breath and then
a long haul that traces the cascade from glass to tongue to
epiglottis to stomach to blood system – low bass rhythm stirs,
moves the feet a bit, incites meringue – or maybe samba,
a choice I ponder while pouring a second long draught.

Chagall 2018