Tomatoes & Memories

Photo courtesy of Ben McLeod from Flickr

The prompt for Poetry Thursday this week is food. I knew immeadiately which one I wanted to write about. This is my first attempt to write a poem so don't laugh too much.LOL.
The reason I chose this food is because to me it is the essence of summer. I grew up in rural MS and everyone had small gardens. Every year till this year my dad or grandmother had a garden and there would always be tomatoes.My granny would can them and in the dead of winter they would be used in soups and stews and you could still taste there summer goodness. My favorite way to eat them was just cut up with salt on them fresh from the garden.To me this food will always remind of home,family and summertime.

ODE TO A TOMATO

Grown in the Mississippi Heat
Biting into her is like a taste of summer
that can't be beat.

Red is her color
Like the infernal Mississippi summer sun,
She roasts there on the vine like some soroity girl
toasting herself out in the sunshine.

Her taste is like no other
It's like bottled summer sunshine,
Like the humidity,oppresive and salty,
She is my summer vegeatable priority.

In soups,drinks,sauces and stews
She is much prized.
That is why the world over she is coveted.


Photo courtesy of Ben MeLeod.