By Caroline Donnola

“The cantaloupe has no taste!”
Such a disappointment
after a summer
Of voluptuous tomatoes
Sweet nectarines
Tart raspberries
And milky corn.

We made lusty salads
Silky Peach Melbas
And tangy gazpachos
And ate to our hearts’ content.

We feasted on the land’s wares
And noted how the weather
Did it’s peculiar thing
With crazy hot, humid days
And sultry nights
Mixed with thunder, lightning,
Tropical rains.

We sat around the table
Happy, full,
enjoying each other’s company
On a late summer’s day.

And so
The cantaloupe that had no taste
Seemed a bit of a shame.

No matter.

We filled up on more raspberries
And shared our bounty
As only longtime friends can do
While the darkness settled in
And the wild creatures danced
In the nearby woods
As we told each other stories
Of how best to dodge a bear
Make three-bean salad
Paint a picture
Or write a refrain.