Roadside Stand

  (c) 2011 by Tom King 

Up ahead... 

A breathing space beside the road, 

Heaps of sustenance, rich dirt-toned, 

Plucked from the Earth, 

Gifts to be had from the land itself, 

To those who have the strength of arm  

             ... or three dollars the peck 

Pull over... 

Walk among the over-flowing baskets, 

Find something from the place itself 

Something drawn from the open-handed Earth 

Lifted whole and good in the farmer's naked hands 

A blessing to those who will gather at my table; 

            ... a reason, now to hurry home. 

*Picture by Patricia Moore used under Creative Commons License