Food ©

A poem for National Poetry Day 2004

From veggie to the carnivore and good old fashioned omnivore
From lettuce leaf to wild boar Pavlovic hormones howl for more
Food is now a science with seductive man-made flavours
A succulent assortment for we gastronomes to savour

This nouveau gastric alchemy should make us all suspicious
It doesn't matter, we don't care, it's finger lickin' 'licious
Spellbound by their menus, from beyond our palate's wishes
They've synthesised ambrosia within their Petri dishes

We'd like to think our meat and veg reflects our country farming
Of course it does, do not fret, but it's the lab that makes it charming
Additives, preservatives, combined to make it stable
Behold the techno-chefs have smashed the Periodic Table

Now left alone a poor wee pie would wilt, become quite musty
Instead of which those wizards whiz and make them all stay crusty
No end to marvels they concoct and conjure to perfection
I do believe that some of which's assured to stop infection

They'll cater for that special taste that can't be found in nature
Synthetic tangs to tempt our buds are nurtured from their cultures
And regardless of the inches that we're increasing to our waist
We relish every mouthful: as we're addicted to the taste