A Prickly Pear's Lament

Cherry

By luigi_pagano

Thu, 07 Mar 2019
  • 2385 reads
8 comments
 

I have my reasons
for being so prickly.
People look at me
then retreat quickly.

I am much annoyed
that,with their noses,
people are happy
to smell the roses

but when it comes
to Opuntia cacti
they leave hurriedly
with a shrill cry

and it is because
no person likes
to have their snout
grazed by my spikes.

I can assure you
that I'm not that bad;
look inside me
and you'll be glad.

My thick outer skin
may not be flocculent
but my sweet fruit
is really succulent.

Whoever has tried
my pulp can vouch
that underneath
I am a soft touch.

© Luigi Pagano 2019

Certificate U
Poem
Are you being versed?
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

This is very clever and funny! Well done! Rhiannon

[you seem to have missed an 'h' out of 'thick'.]

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Thanks for pointing out my dropped 'h', Rhiannon. Much obliged for that and for your appreciation.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

I do like this - I can relate to the cactus.

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Nice to hear from you, Helen.
I can be prickly at times but I'd like to think that people recognise that I am a softy in reality and don't look at me in alarm and keep their distance.

Best, Luigi x

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I enjoyed your poem Luigi.

though I once had a bad experience with a cacti. I was cleaning a window sill and the plant toppled over and landed on my foot, I spent ages pulling the bits out of my toes...ouch! It hurt. I suppose the moral to my story is, don't clean in bare feet. wink

By the way I've never tasted the pulp from a prickly fruit, does it taste like anyother fruit?

Jenny. xx 

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Hi Jenny, it is long time since I had a prickly pear's fruit and could not recall what it rasted like but I found this information on the web: "Prickly pear fruit taste somewhat like watermelon and pear, sweet, extremely succulent and incredibly fragrant."
I can sympathise with you about your bad experience with the cactus because I know what those little spines can do. A cat belonging to my brother-in-law licked a cactus standing on the windows sill and had to be rushed to the vet for treatment. He recovered and I'm sure he learned the lesson.

Luigi xx

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Thank you for coming back and letting me know what a prickly fruit tastes like Luigi. That poor cat must have been in so much agony, even worse than getting the nasty prickles on my foot, I'm glad it was okay in the end. For me it was like needles or splinters under the skin...ouch! Was all I could say each time I got another out.

I love watermelon and pear, but not sure if I'll be trying a prickly fruit any time soon, indecision ha,ha.

Many thanks for coming back and letting me know.

Jenny. xx

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

There is a skill for getting to the pulp without being prickled, Jenny. It is long time ago since I tasted one but seem to remember that they were immersed in water to soften the bristles so that they can be brushed away. I always relied on experienced people to do that.

Luigi xx