Fruits of Labor

Strawberries
Are in love with the notion
Of being in love,
And are certain they deserve
Every soft lick
And smooth slurp
That comes their way.
After all, isn't strawberry
The perfect color for blondes
And valentines?

They titter and preen.
Seeking to draw all attention
To their luscious form,
They order darker berries
To tone it down;
And (rumor has it)
Shove the Marions
To the back of the refer.

But whip out heavy cream
With beaters whirling
In controlled frenzy,
And watch them squirm,
Lifting their open legs
Just as any other
Junior Miss after the prom.

Show'm brown sugar
And you better run.

*

PEACH

Open,
their nectar flows.
Strawberries will fool you
with painted rouge and tasteless body,
not peach.

Don't mix
with the cousins.
Nectarine imitates,
apricots are for sour toothless
old men

Pulp, juice
dripping from chin,
taste them wearing no top,
covering breasts with their tempting
syrup.

Peaches
lust but don't tell,
waiting only your bite
to nibble the way to their bitter
center.

Peaches
should be strippers;
but they rush disrobing,
peeling faster than a yellow
T-bird.

*

MELONS

Melon
names are too long
to fit on the first line,
best to just eat them, juice dripping
below.

Red flesh
wrapped in green rind,
wants to be devoured
in the original package
sticky.

Wrinkled
skin hides orange
filled with seeds and membrane
to be sliced into the perfect
crescent.

Honey,
how do you do
a honeydew, solid
waxless comb from special bees green
with dew?

Rare fruit,
Casaba left
the exotics on the right,
the smell of mango on her breath
and skin.

GRAPE HAIKU

Island Belle

Purple stains the lips;
protection strewn round the deck,
cast off grapeskin.

Purple stains the lips;
skins scattered around the deck,
cast off apparel.

Concord

Five pounds of fresh fruit
ate in one evening orgy,
spent the night shitting.

Five pounds of fresh fruit
ate in one evening orgy,
a night spent shitting.

Seedless

Greens seek company;
bread, cheese and a bottle of wine,
Jello molds with holes.