To Bacchus

Dear Bacchus,
god of wine,
who reigned supreme
long before
valium
zoloft
and vicodin,
I raise my cup to thee
eternal
majestic God of
calm (freedom from pain).
With your natural sources
"from the vine came the grape..."
long before lab's chemistry,
you calm me
more than
today's synthetic truth.
Wine's ancient mysterious sources
knew more
than molecular truth.
All truth is chimera, true;
but,
forever knowing,
forever kneeling,
then as now,
I bow to wine's eternal effectiveness.
I raise my glass to thee,
Bacchus,
Dear Bacchus, loving Bacchus,
God of peace.