Written for Russ Rosner and Susan Sokol Blosser
– by Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford
Wine Roots
Rain, too, has a vintage—aged
for eons in the sea, then lifted
from salt waves for long migration
to this hill, these furrows, this earth.
And wine has roots in the family
of the makers, their long learning
peppered with instructive errors
and the pluck to try again.
Wine has roots in weather, the right
rain at the right time, temperature
rising, cresting, and the sun-heart
beating down, wheeling toward solstice.
And wine delves deep into the bread
of earth to sip and savor centuries, all
the fallen years, the legacy and perfection
of loss and love made crisp and dry.
Sip, remember, wonder, and apprehend
the falling, delving, rising—deep wisdom
born of struggle, affection, and persistence.
Then taste this flavored song.
