LIFE IS A FARMERS’ MARKET
May brings the seedlings: parsley, sage
Thyme and rosemary frail and green,
Eggs of all sizes, turkey to quail,
Ruby red radishes crunchy and sweet,
The wild curled fronds of fiddlehead ferns,
Lambs’ quarters, dandelion leaves.
For rhubarb’s tangy sauce we yearn,
New peas, garlic, onions, chives.
Summer’s bounty is succulent corn,
Heritage tomatoes and summer squash.
Young carrots, beets and broccoli are borne
To the growing family’s midday repast.
New potatoes, yams and turnips appear.
With the sweetness of berries the meal is crowned
Before the table is finally cleared,
The dishes washed, the family gone.
The produce of fall is all about
Preparing for frost: sweet or hard cider,
Local beer, ales and stout,
Grapes and berries transmuted to wines.
Ripened root vegetables are stored.
Preserves, pickles and relishes keep
The taste of summer in our mouths
Throughout the winter’s long cold sleep.