Having an allotment <br />Is a very English thing. <br />Most of them are small <br />Thirty metres by ten <br />And an old wooden shed <br />Passed down from Father to Son. <br /> <br />What do we grow in them? <br />Everything - anything <br />Flowers - veggies - fruit <br />Work begins in earnest <br />In March - ends in November <br />Today most plots are in use. <br /> <br />Thsi year - a hot day in June <br />I surveyed my produce <br />And smiled as I realised <br />How well it reflected <br />My own Community <br />The people I meet every day! <br /> <br />The District Nurse - tall and slim <br />In white and green - a LEEK. <br />Our Scandinavian Vicar <br />Rotund - bald and round - a SWEDE <br />His Curate - young - broad shouldered <br />Slim hips - Parson? - No PARSNIP. <br /> <br />The Postmistress - always flustered <br />Her round red face - a TOMATO <br />The Inkeeper - Irish - Green <br />Heart in his head - a CABBAGE <br />His Barmaid - mass of blond curls <br />A very tasty CAULIFLOWER <br /> <br />I had a soft spot for my soft fruit <br />And all the ladies in my Choir <br />Ruth - sweet pink and tasty <br />A perfect STRAWBERRY <br />Pauline - green - sweet and sour <br />A perfect GOOSEBERRY <br /> <br />Alice changeable - red - green - black <br />A perfect BLACKBERRY <br />Jean - multifaceted <br />A perfect RASPBERRY <br />Grace - slender - inflexible - sharp <br />A fine stick of RHUBARB. <br /> <br />In my Community <br />And on my allotment <br />There are couch POTATOES <br />Wet LETTUCE and PANSIES <br />English ROSES also <br />Chinese GOOSEBERRIES. <br /> <br />Metophorically speaking <br />I now rest my case for <br />Flowers - veggies - fruit <br />My Allotment is my <br />Community which is <br />Also my Allotment! ! ! <br /> <br />(John Knight - Colchester - December 2009)<br /><br />John Knight<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/1010-magical-metaphors/
