Minister's Journals - part four

Since Kristen and I began staying home beginning several months ago, I've been writing a poem each day and posting it to Facebook. Most of my poems are celebrations of natural beauty; a few are ethical/political commentaries with some bite.

My motto is "a poem a day keeps the doctor away,”

You can see more poems by visiting my new Facebook page.

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GREEN TOMATOES

©2020 Rev. Ted Tollefson

Tomatoes are profligate
and faithful to the First Commandment---
they are fruitful and multiply
beyond expectations or seasonal shifts.

That's where we come in----
harvesting Greenies before a hard frost.
We bring them inside
but then what?

Some can be wrapped in newspaper
and if you're lucky
they will ripen
in that fecund wordy darkness
but some won't.

If you're Southern or can fake it
there's Fried Green Tomatoes
or if you’re bold
try Green Tomato Salsa or Chutney
with lots of jalapenos
to make your taste buds tingle.

If you favor desserts
try Green Tomato Pie
with cinnamon and brown sugar
to keep them company and don't over-bake
so it's tart and tasty just like
these last bright blue October days
lighting up body and soul
before a long descent
into the ripening dark wrapper
that we call winter.