Avocado

Picked in glory from its tree,
then "ripening" on my refrigerator,
I expressed a respectful apology
for abandoning it ‘til later.

Alone on the fridge for two weeks way up high,
unappreciated, marginalized; forgotten
until today, when it caught my eye—
unappetizing, mushy, and possibly rotten.

(Actually, it looked kinda gross.)
In hopeless despair it wallowed,
All shriveled, neglected and morose
‘til thrust into the adventure that followed.

I carefully cut it in half, and voila!
Hmm. A light greenish-yellow, still.
Looked OK (probably edible), ha ha!
My hungry tummy it soon would fill!

Continuing my ruthless culinary assault,
I scooped it into a small bowl.
Lemon juice + mayo + garlic salt
+ Tabasco equals a decent guacamole!

The simple pedestrian avocado
is no elitist gourmet treat.
I'm a dedicated aficionado
of earth’s simplest foods to eat.

Toothpicked, in water now suspended,
the seed’s resumed its ancestral journey.
I’ll plant it soon, hoping, unattended
it may peacefully fulfill its destiny.


Will Walsh