In the Early Morning Light

A flustered ray of sunlight
found himself kissing a single white rose
in a sea of red, orange and yellow.

Sneaking past the celeriac,
another sunbeam reached over carrots and leeks,
curiously studying the message on the slip of paper.

The rays grew bolder
and embraced full trays of raspberries
and pots of honey.

A bucketful of yellow daisies
clamored with a tableful of amber honey
for the sun's attention.
"Stand still, customer approaching!" -
hissed the tall blue crate.

"Ah!", moaned the asparagus with pleasure,
"I love it when you
tickle my toes!"

"What was he thinking?"
grumbled the potatoes, tossing and turning,
"We'll turn as green as broccoli if he doesn't cover us!"

"Fried Green Potatoes!"
The tomato plants shook with laughter.

Tired of vegetables
too selfish to appreciate
courting in the morning hour,
the sunbeams began to woo the roses ardently,
hoping to charm them into romance:
"Think, would it not be
Sweet to live with me
All alone, my child, my love?
There, were restraint and order bless
Luxury and voluptuousness?" *

*

This romance
at the Farmers' Market
was witnessed by Merisi
this Saturday morning,
June 13, 2009,
Brunnenmarkt
Yppen Platz
16th District
Vienna

*Charles Baudelaire
L'invitation au voyage
"Mon enfant, ma soeur,
Songe à la douceur
D'aller là-bas vivre ensemble!"
...
"Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Luxe, calme et volupté."