"Unoaked Chardonnay" by DS Maolalai

Unoaked Chardonnay

they say
there's none in there
but I still taste it;
fresh oak
broken. the body of a boat
striking rocks
in a lake with storms
like eggs
tossed on a frying pan. the liquid,
guzzling, fresh
as apples, pulling with a snap
like tomatoes
off a vine. there's
a flavor there,
difficult to place. oak.
but not oak
like woodiness — just oak leaves. the way
autumn hits them
and shatters.

DS Maolalai

DS Maolalai is a poet from Ireland who has been writing and publishing poetry for almost 10 years. His first collection, Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden, was published in 2016 by the Encircle Press, and he has a second collection forthcoming from Turas Press in 2019. He has been nominated for Best of the Web and twice for the Pushcart Prize.

Headshot: Jack Baker

Photo Credit: Staff