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Sunday 8 May 2011

But if the salt has lost its savour...


This is the Writers' Island prompt for this week, the subject being "Season" (in any of its meanings).

Strawberries
grapes            asparagus
vegetables
took turns            to bring
distinctive tastes
to grandma's board.

There was a reason
I am reasoniing
why in their season
and their seasoning
with different meanings
each contrived
to share a root
which we still use
to less effect.

Food             technologies
with simple ease
have cleared the pitch
with ways to force
accelerate            delay
divert the natural flow.

The taste buds yawn
that punched the air.
The ancient treats
are commonplace
and taste itself
no longer crisp
and natty in its dress
has come to sizzle
less and
less.

17 comments:

Marja said...

Very good love the different tastes that come with the seasons

David Cranmer said...

"The taste buds yawn
that punched the air."

Nice, Dave.

Carl said...

Yes. Exactly we take for granted and have access all the time to the items we waited to with anticipation to come into season. They have indeed lost some of their sizzle.

Laurie Kolp said...

I'm with David... that's a fantastic line.

CiCi said...

The taste buds wouldn't yawn if people tasted the actual flavors and not the preservatives and phony seasoning...

Gerry Snape said...

Yes age does that ...but then again we can experiment with more odd tastes as they don't make us want to throw up in the way that they did all those years ago.
Or is that a thought too far!

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Meaning and sound in great harmony. And yesterday's poem with the surrealistic touch stunningly impressive.

I have something on season in my blog.

Conda Douglas said...

Love this poem, especially the playful format, although it did make me hungry...

Sailor said...

Tastes of different seasons!

Windsmoke. said...

I can just imagine all the different vegetables sizzling away on the BBQ :-).

Unknown said...

Again, I love the style of your poetry. Imagery eases the flow. Perfect density for blogging, too. Just enough to wet the appetite. I've reverted back to the spices. They are the building blocks of taste. (Although I also enjoy an occasional twinkie, too ... just to see what I'm not missing!)

Dave King said...

Hi Marja
and a warm welcome to you. Thanks for visiting and for stopping by to comment.

David
Thanks for the comment.

Carl
It seems a pretty universal reaction to think so. There are tasty fruits and veg available, but they are harder to come by than they were.

Laurie
Thanks for visiting and for the response. Really good to have you along.

TechnoBabe
Right. I think that may well be part of the problem. thanks for it.

Gerry
No, I don't think that's a thought too far. Quite the reverse, it's a good point well made.

Tommaso
Grateful for those two comments and will be along anon.

Conda
Thanks. Made me wistful writing it.

Sailor
Yes. Seasoning for the seasons.

Windsmoke
Ah, their just deserts!

Robert
Hi and a warm welcome to the blog. Many thanks for the thoughtful response - and I'm with you on the spices.

Jinksy said...

At least your words are never tasteless! LOL

Mary said...

Dave, it does seem that so much food has less taste today...with the accelerated growth of produce, the 'hot house tomatoes,' etc. Your poetic words make the point well!

Hannah Stephenson said...

I like the ingredients sprinkled throughout this poem--I believe it's national strawberry month (saw something in the paper about it, weirdly), so this is definitely timely).

We definitely hunger for whatever we don't have.

Helen said...

Do you think aging has anything to do with it? Just kidding!

Anna :o] said...

'The ancient treats are commonplace .......' This is so true! As we now can afford more exotic treats - they quickly cease to lose their magic.

Anna :o]