Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)

RKS 2026 BRITISH COLUMBIA WINES: Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Merlot

When Canadian provinces vint wine Ontario and British Columbia rule the roost. Aged 15 months in French oak. In this case from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, we sample a Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Merlot. Aroma: A lush, plush and floozish wine. Lazy and sultry on the nose. Plummy. Creaminess strongly suggestive. Blackberry, cassisContinue reading “RKS 2026 BRITISH COLUMBIA WINES: Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Merlot”

RKS Literature: After a Southern Lynching How Does Mike the Mob Participant Feel? Part 2 (John Steinbeck)

“He walked around the side of his house and went in the back door. His thin petulant wife was sitting by the open gas oven warming herself. She turned complaining eyes on Mike where he stood in the doorway. Then her eyes widened and hung on his face. ‘You been with a woman,’ she saidContinue reading “RKS Literature: After a Southern Lynching How Does Mike the Mob Participant Feel? Part 2 (John Steinbeck)”

RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds): “The Empty Ballad”

The Empty Ballad Basking in the spotlight An angel Feeling so proud and omnipotent Throngs surround Shout for more Critics rave Only Time knows realistic nothingness Words of a passing era Face on an album cover Actually, they hate as nothing like they ever will be A star reality crushes their dreams The lyrics theirContinue reading “RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds): “The Empty Ballad””

RKS Literature: After a Southern Lynching How Does Mike the Mob Participant Feel? Part 1 (John Steinbeck)

“Mike shied away from the contact. ‘It don’t make you feel nothing.’ He put down his head and increased his pace The little bartender had nearly to trot to keep up. The street lights were fewer. It was darker and safer. Mike burst out, “Makes you feel kind of cut off and tired, but kindContinue reading “RKS Literature: After a Southern Lynching How Does Mike the Mob Participant Feel? Part 1 (John Steinbeck)”

RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds): “Mother T Go Home (Tropical Bunga in Reverse)”

Mother T Go Home (Tropical Bunga in Reverse) Necessary victims of the freeze dried The white ice of deadly progress No harpoon redress Trust only hastened the inevitable Amongst mineral rights and the Sovereign And commercial Arctic Ventures Spouted from dollared dentures Accompanied by expanding markets Fishing guidelines for the sub 49er’s Searching for charContinue reading “RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds): “Mother T Go Home (Tropical Bunga in Reverse)””

RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds): “Job Interview”

Job Interview Yelps and barks of circus seals Tenuously balancing sparkling balls Adequately But Not dangerously ostentatious Don’t ruffle the placid master Your audience But then don’t underplay Even though Regulations and conventions dictate a certain humility Statutory interpretation on the trapeze act The tumble can be wicked Return to delaying promises and options prudentlyContinue reading “RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds): “Job Interview””

RKS Literature: That Oft Used Parental Expression “When I’m Dead….” (Georges Simenon)

“This was the first time since I’d been with you in the room where you were slowly dying that you spoke, even indirectly, of death. When I was a child and then a young man, you often spoke of it, I’d almost say with satisfaction. ‘ When I’m dead children…..’ Or: ‘You’ll understand when I’mContinue reading “RKS Literature: That Oft Used Parental Expression “When I’m Dead….” (Georges Simenon)”

RKS Literature: What Else Could it be But Hatred? (Georges Simenon)

“When I speak of hatred, I’m not exaggerating. True, I wasn’t there. But when a husband and wife living under the same roof get to the point where each does his own cooking, each keeping his provisions in his own locked food cupboard, and one waits for the other to vacate the kitchen before gettingContinue reading “RKS Literature: What Else Could it be But Hatred? (Georges Simenon)”

RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds):”Casino COVID”

Casino COVID Caught in slot machine blur Praying for the jackpot of herd immunity Big Pharma legislated impunity The three cherries of hurriedly tested vaccine untested for the long term Could be worse than the germ! RNA concoctions messing with our genes Holy shit where are the simpler days of captain Kangaroo and Mr. Greenjeans?Continue reading “RKS Poetry Anthology (All We Get Are The Coffee Grinds):”Casino COVID””