RKS Literature: Parisian Backstabbers: “The Atheist’s Mass” (Honoré de Balzac)

“In Paris, when certain people see you ready to put your foot in the stirrup, some of them pull you back by the coattail, others loosen the buckle of the saddle-girth so that you’ll fall and break your head; this one takes the shoes of your horse, that one steals your whip. The least treacherous is the one you see coming up to shoot you at point blank range. You have enough talent my dear fellow, soon to be acquainted with the horrible unending battle which mediocrity wages against superiority. If you have a headache you will be called a lunatic. If you have one outburst of temper, they will say you are a social misfit. In short, your good qualities will become your failings, your failings will become vices, and your virtues will be crimes.”

“The Atheist’s Mass”, Honoré de Balzac, 1836.

RKS Literature: Desperate Poverty and Great Talent: “The Atheist’s Mass” (Honoré de Balzac)

“There this poor young man experienced that desperate poverty which is a kind of melting-pot whence great talents emerge pure and incorruptible, just as diamonds can be subjected to any kind of shock without breaking. In the violence of unleashed passions, they acquire the most unshakeable honesty, and by dint of the constant labour with which they have contained their balked appetites, they become used to the struggles which are the lot of genius.”

“The Atheist’s Mass”, Honoré de Balzac, 1836

RKS 2026 ONTARIO WINE: Drea’s 2022 Small Batch Cabernet Franc

Aroma: One senses a firm and tight wine lacking fruit effusiveness. Pardon any reference to Gogol’s short story “The Nose” but you need to deeply nose about to detect black cherry, black currant, strawberry jam and those Peek Freen cookies with a blob of red goo in the centre. Overshadowed by oak, perhaps too much so. The good news though is that trying on day two the oak backs off somewhat and the fruit rears its head. Decant my friend for at least an hour.

Palate: The tightness continues obfuscating the fruit. Tannic. Black cherry, cranberry and faint strawberry with a short finish. Like the fruit is lurking in the background.

Personality: Extremely shy and far from a fruit flasher. Decanting transforms me from introvert status to being shy. I would like you to think of me as complex and difficult to define.

Food Match: A tomato based Bachalau would suit this wine or perhaps some of the other 299 Portuguese recipes for this dish.

Cellarbility: Could a miracle be waiting over the next five years? Perhaps. You are paying a high price for such a temporal risk.

Price: $40 CDN.

RKS 2026 Ontario Wine Rating: 84/100.

(Drea’s 2022 Small Batch Cabernet Franc, VQA Niagara Peninsula, 750 mL, 13%).

RKS Poetry Anthology: “The eternal sandbox”

The eternal sandbox

Young and innocent

Time consuming frivolity

Equality of youth

Shattered

The dinky toyed hours

Pen and suits

Boots and hands

A mild game struggle

Children versus children

Life kept on that harmless level

Fun and simple

Lost and baffled in gaming politeness

Forgetting who the real enemies are

Robert K. Stephen

RKS Literature: “Trimalchio’s Feast”: Circumcision and Snoring in Ancient Rome (Petronious)

“He’s never had any real training. I just had him taught by sending him along to peddlers on the street corner. There’s no one equal to him if he wants to imitate mule-drivers or hawkers. He’s terribly clever, really. He’s a cobbler, a cook, a confectioner-a man that can turn his head to anything. But he’s got two faults; if he didn’t have them he’d be one in a million- he’s circumcised and he snores.”

RKS Literature: The Torment of Holding Yourself In: “Trimalchio’s Feast” (Petronious)

“Excuse me, dear people, my inside has not been answering the call for several days now. The doctors are puzzled. But some pomegranate rind in water and resin in vinegar has dome me good. But I hope now it will be back in good behaviour. Otherwise my stomach rumbles like a bull. So if any of you wants to go out, there’s no need for him to be embarrassed. None of us were born to be solid. I think there’s nothing so tormenting as holding yourself in. This is one thing even God Almighty can’t object to. Yes laugh Fortunata, but you generally keep me up all night with this sort of thing.”

RKS Poetry Anthology: “Go west young man!”

Go west young man!

Gasping

Retching

Tumble rivers of foamy beer and purplish macaroni chunks

Spilling into the pavement

Steaming in the winter’s frigidity

While its stumbling moaning creator

Wends homeward to bed and

Ready to leap like a tiger upon its unprepared toilers

Tomorrow

Robert K. Stephen

RKS Poetry Anthology: “Monday (non retired version)”

Monday (non retired version)

I lie in fear

Waiting

Praying Monday morning is but an illusion

Camouflaged amongst herds of angry zebra

Who lay traps

Of joyful Fridays

To taunt its believers

Robert K. Stephen