A Veggie Twist on Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Oh vegetables, how do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

I love thee in the soup and the salad that

Feeds my body and soul, when seeking

What soundness and vigor can mean.

I love thee when cultured and fermented 

So that pro-biotics give an extra boost in nutrition.

I love thee respectfully, as I strive for health;

I love thee creatively, as I long for well-being.

I love thee with a passion for vitality

And wholeness, and with childlike desire.

I love thee with ardor I am tempted to lose

In light of dessert’s harsh guile…

And yet love thee truly, from the heart.

And, if God choose,

I shall love thee unto a better quality of life,

And perhaps even a better death.