La Part des Anges

La Part des Anges


A sublime poem
should be sipped
like a fine cognac,
appreciated for its Hors d'âge -
the time
it spent aging
sharing of itself
la part des anges:
"the angels' share."

Most will never see
nor taste
that which the angels sip,
that part absorbed into
limousin oak cask
yet some have learned
how to appreciate,
have refined their tastes,
much like a perfumier
with his aesthetic sense of smell
can devine hints and flavors,
essences that enhance
and those rare few
can capture,
for a brief moment,
divine essence.

It is in the hidden,
the under,
the other side of the page
(not one turned)
one must look deep to see.

Never merely skimmed
as if for cream
for that indolent behavior
will ne'er reap the marrow
nor allow the very heart
to escape--
Let alone be able to be grasped,
savored and held
tight to the mind's breath.

For indeed,
the mind must be able
to inhale and savor
the distinct flavors, that
pheromonal effect
that touches the soul.
Aged thoughts, bequeathing wisdom
(perhaps) or mere anomaly,
but that yet
insist
they be the center of attention
for that beat of time.

Thus, that other side
of the page, where levels
of depth await, are where,
once again, one may sip--
should one have the care--
to partake of
the nectar of the gods.