Thursday, November 16, 2006

Poetry Thursday


Thursday already?!! That must mean Poetry Thursday, this week we are encouraged to lie. Like a rug covered in lemon curd.
Here's my contribution. The photo is one that I took yesterday of the one remaining lemon on my lemon tree.

Lemon with a view
by Julie Zaccone Stiller

The lemon is terrible sad today.
Being the last on the tree is a lonely business,
I mistakenly assumed.

"No! That isn't it" she sobbed.
"It is so frustrating to see the candles get used
every single day. They tempt me with their
subtle fire to forget that I am only a fruit and
a sour one at that.
I wish I could roll out of this tree and smash them flat.
And I'd knock over that vase that keeps taunting me.
Filled as she is with sweet water and fragrant flowers.
I hope that bitch breaks into a million pieces."

Fed up with the ranting of this bitter lemon,
I plucked her roughly off the tree.
Turning towards the view I chucked her as far
as I could manage away from my house.

We have enough bitterness thankyouverymuch.
Now what will I put in my evening cocktail?
Something sweet this time, I think.

7 comments:

Debra said...

Gotta tell ya, if tossing your lemon has the same effect as tossing my tomatoes a couple years ago... you'll have a lot fewer lemons in years forward.

It seems the small mammals and birds who I invited to feast in their field, believed it to be an open invitation to nosh anytime the fruit is present. I lose about 40% of crop each year to scavaging thiefs!!

Anonymous said...

I love this poem. I love it when inanimate things are given feelings in poetry. I think I said this to Dana, to re: the house in her poem today. And it's so surprising, what the lemon's jealous of...thank you for this!

Deb R said...

VERY cool poem, Julie! I really felt the impact of that lemon's sour personality.

madd said...

I love the lemon having a personality..and the throwing of it..yea!!, don't you just wish you could do that with all the sour ones we run into out there..fun really liked it..m

Anonymous said...

I love your bitter lemon! And the picture is perfect. You did such a good job giving the lemon its own voice - I could hear it whining from my computer. I really loved this bit:

"They tempt me with their
subtle fire to forget that I am only a fruit and
a sour one at that."

Anonymous said...

Talking lemons. No lemonade. - I wish it were my world.

Anonymous said...

this is brilliant.
brilliant.
i'm super impressed.