THE ALLOTMENT POEMS

vegetables 2

#1

Say all you want about carrots
But there’s nothing like a young sweet one
Pulled fresh from the rich earth

#2

When the wind whips
Around the brussels sprout plants
We are reminded of how
Often we make our own problems

#3

The difficulty of the tomato
Is not really a difficulty at all
We all of us need sun and rain
(“so much depends/ upon”)

It loves a house of glass

#4

Onions may give you the run-around
But you soon find out who your wife might be

#5

Courgettes may well cause arguments
But we are not children, are we? (though we love the rain)

#6

What do you mean – “Cabbages
Remind me of Russia”?

#7

So we were sitting around very much in the manner of potatoes
Suki mentioned the coach but she meant the couch

What, said Suki, has that got to do with the coach?

#8

A lot of people disrespect Kale. You know
One day Kale was out shopping and Spinach just
Cut her. Cut her cold. What the hell?
Kale is tasty as Spinach! I’ve had her. I love her.
All of us in Kale City love her tasty curliness.

#9

There was rhubarb in the corner of
Our patch it was there when we arrived
& it will be there when the world ends

You can’t get rid of rhubarb but then
You wouldn’t want to
Rhubarb crumble being the modern equivalent of Ambrosia

#10

Asparagus. A rare almost
Exotic delight. Occasionally
I treat myself from the organic shelf
At the supermarket –
But nurture & tend her day after day?
I am not enough of a man
Though I do, from (call it) deference,
Leave a small place
Where she could be.

 

 

Martin Stannard


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2 Responses to THE ALLOTMENT POEMS

    1. Oh I love this: the colour, politics and language are subtle and resonant: so much depends upon the space that you leave for others. Brilliant.

      Comment by Paula Sharratt on 2 March, 2016 at 9:54 am
    2. You should get this across to the men in sheds project: http://www.gedling.gov.uk/aboutus/newspublications/latestnews/meninshedstolaunchindaybrook.php

      -so much depends on getting the info to the right people in the right way1

      Kind regards

      Paula

      Comment by Paula Sharratt on 2 March, 2016 at 9:56 am

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