Oh tomato, my ruddy, florid friend,
True and faithful to the end,
You come in endless shapes and sizes,
And appear in many culinary disguises,
And although it’s true I’ve never seen,
Your marvelous, wonderful lycopene,
I know that taken in processed form,
And regularly from dusk till dawn,
Your juicy meat will fight the cancer,
That lurks inside me like a canker,
And so, dear fruit, I owe you thanks,
Among the greatest you must rank.
(2/7/09)