Midsummer Nut-Brown Ale by Carmine Di Biase

---

Midsummer Nut-Brown Ale
by Carmine Di Biase


I’m not some common fairy, some jackass,
born low with no ambition but to serve!
Now Mustardseed and Cobweb—oh, they love 
to fetch the bee from its sweet pregnant flower
and to their pampered master bring the juice.
I roam free, guided only by the moon.

I can round the earth, even reach the moon,
if I am rested. Could a tethered ass
fly like me to the West, find Cupid’s juice
and, by sunset, have it ready to serve
to some sleeping dolt? Squeezed out from its flower,
it can move cold cobblestones to hot love.

Yes, I blundered! I made the wrong boy love.
They all looked the same under that pale moon.
That boy—what chaos!—wanted to deflower
the girl on sight! Oberon kicked my ass  
for that whole mess, said I did not deserve
the privilege of handling that rare juice.

But ah this—this fine pint of nut-brown juice!—  
will make me whole. Did Oberon not love
how well I groomed that vain Bottom to serve
his turn on shrill Titania? She was moon-
struck by a hairy, long-eared, braying ass:
to her he seemed brave manhood in full flower!

And you, Hippolyta, you old pressed flower,
you trophy bride, already out of juice
on nuptial day! You desiccated ass!
When Pyramus and Thisbe’s tragic love
became a comedy, the very moon
smiled on those actors who had come to serve

their story to you. May your bile preserve
that frown of yours, that rumpled cauliflower
poor Theseus kissed on his numb honeymoon!
So may you warn the young, whose brains the juice
of life addles. Let’s talk no more of love.  
Raise high your glasses to my favorite ass!

Bottoms up! Serve me one more nut-brown juice!
Have I offended you, my flower, my love?
If I should moon you, kindly spank my ass.

---

Hear Carmine Di Biase, and other selected poets, read their poems on The Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast:

Submit your polished poetry for the opportunity of being published on ViewlessWings.com and being interviewed on The Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast.