NAPOWRIMO #10

Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Prompt #10 - Celebrate!

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LOSS & CELEBRATION:
A BEER REVIEW for TWO VOICES

Deschutes Cinder Cone Red Ale

Deschutes Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale

I thought you would be ever present,
my favorite session beer,
gift from the gods.

Rumor came that you were
being discontinued, replaced

by a younger cousin,

of a similar flavor profile,
although of a different style of ale.

Which brought me to a place
of overlap,
a Venn diagram
of longing and memory,
of remembrance and new memory—

one in hospice

one in the nursery.

I tried to keep the wisdom
of Stu Stuart singing to me:
“We Americans are too hung up
with the concept of style.
If you like a particular beer,
then you like that beer;
who cares whether or not
it is an IPA that tastes
like an amber?”

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The bottle is poured into the glass:

a brilliant, clear body

copper-red,

copper-orange,

a finger of ivory head birthing
small spots of lacing
that cling to the side of the shaker.

The nose is excited by:

caramel and

dark fruits, a rich and bitter plum.

citrus notes, bitter orange.

The tongue plays well with the nose,
reinforcing the strongest scents:

caramel and

dark fruits, a rich and bitter plum,

citrus notes, bitter orange,

while introducing
things new and tantalizing:

dandelion and newborn nettles,

fresh cut grass and mature nettles,

a hint of dark rum,

a hint of lemon zest,

rich sweetness

sharp crispness

upon the finish.

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There is true loss
and celebration—
a remembrance of the elder
as he is laid to rest,
a welcoming of the younger
as she takes her first steps—

a slight shift
as the final drink
is quaffed:

plum and brown sugar,

orange and brown sugar,

that fades away,
beckoning me back
for another session
with an

old

new

friend.