Enjoying an October Martini with Dad
by Jeannie E. Roberts

–for D.E.R. (April 8, 1920 – March 18, 1972)

Be careful
advised the sister.
Dad drank martinis.
She’d heard about scotch on the rocks
not gin.

A Facebook photo prompted the warning.
The post: “Conical elegance bathed in October light.”

Accustomed to watching other people drink
in her later years
she’d socialize with an occasional glass of wine
or hard seltzer
and margaritas were sweet reminders
of her affection for Mexico City.
Even so she preferred clarity
orbits of unaltered awareness.

You’ll hate the taste of gin
declared the husband.

Its flavor whispered in narratives of nature
sketched something ancient
botanical
placed the imbiber
among the monks and alchemists
amidst the healers and medicinal masters.
Its essence rose from the earth
as did her beloved father
an eco-conscious man who planted trees.
The aromatic might of gin cleared her sinuses
and its welcoming rush resonated with the spirit of Dad.



 

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