My Friend the Bashful Carrot

'To Eat or not to Eat?'  

That is the question. 

Not cloned, 

not sprayed with dangerous chemicals, 

not injected with growth hormone, 

not sealed in a plastic tray, 

and definitely not up to officialdom's  dream 

of uniform quality standards,  

can the bashful carrot really be considered 

safe 

to eat? 

After all, 

he was harvested by dirty human hands!  

And sold by human beings 

from wicker baskets

lined up on a wooden plank 

 in the public market place. 

Yes, in the crowded open street! 

A pigeon perched nearby. 

And someone coughed. 

Coins and notes changed hands.

And people smiled

and laughed. 

And no-one shopped with a credit card. 

Some had arrived on bicycles.

Others with the bus.

Some had walked

from home 

or from their cars parked several blocks away.

There were no supermarket jingles 

or buy two get one free

bing bong 

sales announcements. 

To eat or not to eat? 

There is no answer to the question. 

 We will not chews for you. 


But some will try.