In a fabulous ancient tree,
Where you can see a sliver of the sea,
Behind a fence and well protected,
Sits a place, anything but expected…
A small, cosy and warm wine bar,
On the verge of the vineyard,
Where each and every single day,
All who have made it their way,
Celebrate life with a glass of wine,
Rejoicing, to their last cent and dime.

The bonds created here
Were perishable, but sincere.
As Freddie and John portend,
Friends will be friends, right till the end!
But occasionally, as you understand,
Someone bites the dust, returns to sand.
So even with sorrow and regret,
And without knowing what’s next,
Drinking responsibly hits the list,
As a reason to move on and persist.

Every day, and until this day,
Three regulars show up and stay.
A Badger, an Owl, and a Chameleon
That step in every chat with an opinion.
Aristocrats, with knowledge ahead,
Stand out in this curious stage that they led.
And every night they repeat this essay,
Answering each query without delay,
As everyone learns as they speak,
Hearing them eagerly in the first seat.

Their topics were vast:
Politics, religion, the future, the past.
But today started with a twist
About a new protagonist!
A naive discussion will figure out,
Revealing uncertainties and doubt,
Reflecting on a simple question,
Opinions beyond comprehension,
And a new stage of chatters,
Offering a lesson that matters.

“We have a new Goat around!”,
Said the Badger, raising his brow.
“Is he the best or is he a stroke?”,
Said the Owl before someone spoke.
Hearing this, a Goatling, curious and keen,
Exclaimed: “He is the best I have ever seen!”
To which the Chameleon quickly replied,
“Is he good? Can he be scrutinized?
An epithet as GOAT is hard to carry,
Fame and glory are very easy to bury.”

The Owl rejoins – “This needs dissection!”
“A GOAT needs an audience and obsession,
Great abilities, a character near perfection!
Or he is just a hostage of his own reflection.”
“You’re right; but here is my conclusion!”,
Declared the Badger, without delusion,
“No matter his expertise, race, or beliefs,
He must inspire and respect his peers.”
The Chameleon stood up: “So let’s cheers!”
Glasses up and a toast almost in tears!

Throughout this shared idealism,
By seeing things through a new prism,
No one noticed or gave attention,
To a moving shadow almost in suspension…
Crossing the room, as the floor cringes,
With a bag in his hand, full of beautiful oranges,
And a light perfume, maybe citric,
Hard to ignore, we have to admit it.
A loud cough brought some attention,
Silence arises, as well as the tension.

“This fruit is one of the best of its kind!
It has a singular flavour, very hard-to-find.
An aroma and texture, perfectly aligned,
I bet you could find them if you were blind.
They are so fruity and juicy – it blows my mind.
I think they could really name a wine!
Can you imagine a fruit without colour?
Sweetness and acidity without each other?
What about the one who gives them grace?
Is he committed to nature or to his own taste?”

Suddenly, the Goatling screamed:
“It’s him, the GOAT, the best I have ever seen!”
You could see it in everyone’s eyes,
A feeling of astonishment and surprise,
A new pattern, hard to recognize.
Everyone was speechless, even the wise.
What answer should they give?
What was the right way to perceive?
Could it be the best of its kind?
And why did he mention wine?

Out of the blue, through the orange,
We mention this because it’s mandatory,
A translucent bottle of wine was presented,
An orange wine, the result of curtimenta.
“See… orange from the Algarve and wine!
All from within the grape. Isn’t this fine?”
The product reinforced its airtime,
And he continued… Now we need a rhyme.
“So, if the winemaker has not followed his passion,
Did he follow taste, or did he follow fashion?”

“Does anyone here know this wine?
It’s the greatest of all times of its kind!
A real labour-of-love, almost divine,
Curated and treated with care,
Structured and balanced, I swear.
It’s unique, matchless, and sublime,
And it even has a beautiful design.
And by the way, you can buy it online…
But mostly, it’s unrepeatable, a crime!
Because we cannot stop time.”

Then the wine was served,
And the tension became more curved.
And even if they may not fully comprehend,
For what a GOAT should really stand,
They notice something underlying,
How this wine was so intellectually satisfying.
Making this a memorable play,
When they found virtue in a simple way,
Appreciating life with a glass of wine,
And friends, and… we lack a punchline…

The chat went long, until sunrise,
Including everyone, not just the wise.
And for the final toast of this story,
Full of commitment, courage, glory,
All concertedly agreed
To make a statement to set them free.
“Even if tomorrow goes away,
For someone present here today,
This pleasure, which is terrain,
Will in our memories forever remain.”