13 Ways of Looking at an Artichoke

i. Amongst the plethora of veggies,
there is a flower of my fantasies,
the artichoke shines above the rest.

ii. I am a college student
With a joke of a budget
Who works maximum hours for minimum pay

iii. Though I may be cheap
I ask, "Do I answer my craving?"
When just a few feet away
My love is a'waving

iv. A taste bud and an artichoke
are one
A smile and a laugh and an artichoke
are one

v. I'd beat my brains out before I could decide
What I love most..
Sauce or no sauce
Farm grown or store bought
Steamed or fried
On pizza, in dip, or without any make-up at all

vi. The earthy aroma of artichokes
Fuels my family in the summer
Brings back memories of treasured times
When we peeled and we plucked
Until our fingers went numb

vii. Oh the endless list
Of those who have dismissed such heaven
I will never understand
Why you deny yourself this way

viii. I know of banging peppers
I know of zesty zuchinni
I know of boisterous broccoli and tear-wrenching onions.
But at the beginning and end of every day
I know that the heart of the artichoke is matched to my own.

ix. When I peel the last petal
Carve out the last patches of fur
I know that I will never be able
To cast out something so essential.

x. To know the cover this beauty has been judged by
To see it so outcast among my closest peers
A misunderstood vegetable
I vow to pluck from every shelf

xi. A farmer stumbles upon a flower so ugly
A weed he intends to pluck
Then realizes that he mistook a treasure
for a monstrocity
Realizing his folly, spreads his gold around the world

xii. My sister is in the kitchen
Without saying I know what momma's cooking
Lovely sunshine through the window
We find happiness once again at the table

xiii. It is summer on the lake
Warmth on our skin and in our hearts
As we pluck yet another petal
My sister and I, memories I could never replace
On the docks, a bowl in between us
Piling petals until the last summer sun slept.
Until next time