“Dionysus and Jesus Share a Glass of Wine:” A sonnet

Dionysus and Jesus Share a Glass of Wine

Speak to me of wine on golden days,

devotion flowing red and spilling down.

The walls of once-strong temples crack and sway

and well-worn prayers now rustle on the ground

from ancient chants that danced in candlelight,

with faces bright and eyes stretched wide to be

Prepared, embracing muses in the night,

with beating hearts, taut and ripe with ecstasy.

Yes, speak to me of wine that stains like blood

in an age when dreams and mystery do shrink.

Those starving souls who search for richer food

need only from my veins their essence drink.

Dionysus lifts the glass up to his lips

and from his mouth a secret slips.

Stuart

12/29/2023