The "Farmers Market"

When dating
many places
to meet people
of the opposite sex
are referred to
as "Meat Markets"
or for you fellow blondes
"Meet Markets"
so why is the Farmers Market
any different

You go there to find
the perfect companion
to share a favorite meal

Saturday, I visited said Market
looking for something
to accompany a rather fine
cut of meat
traditional in nature
for a favorite Sunday dinner

New potatoes
round and firm
with few scars $2

Purple onions
to add some color
and yet serve the purpose
of adding flavor
and propping the star
of the show up
while cooking up a great entrance
for the main event
at the table $2

Carrots were a no show
they must have decided
it was too late
to be at the Market
and stayed home
to watch TV and
eat ice cream $0

Then... there they were
round and firm
juicy and delicious
they wouldn't be in town long
it was a limited engagement
but they were beckoning to me
to create a sugary
turned crusty
delightful
after dinner treat
with just them after
peeling off their covers
and lathering them
in butter
like bronzed beauties
who catch your eye at the beaches
yes,
peaches
as in cobbler $5

Now that the Sunday dinner
companions were collected
with out much coaxing
they were glad to go home with me

I made the rounds again
to find some companions
for during the week

As we all know,
I am not interested in
a monogamous relationship right now

and then,
they appeared
as if the spot light
were on them
Purple (my fav color)
Blackeyed (rugged, yet tender)
Peas (in a pod, a perfect match for me)
still needed some refinement
to be brought out
of their shell
and that would take time
and it would be
quality time
spent in the big chair
on the patio
just sharing morning coffee
I could see it as I handed over
the money for the ones
I wanted to take home
not one batch
but two,
for who can get enough of a good thing
and once I finish
the refinement
all the old crusty pods
and strings are removed
a little spice added
some bacon to make them
more flavorful
they would be
the perfect dinner companion
for me and a few pork chops

blackeyed peas $4

I take them home
proud to have them on my arm
looking forward to our time together

I get up early
to find them eagerly
awaiting my company
The coffee brewing in the pot
I prepare the space on the big Chair
placing the newspaper within reach
gently placing two bowls
and a bag for the strings and pods
I return to the kitchen to pour the coffee
while BEPS wait for me on the chair
listening to the waterfall and soaking up
the great morning sun
as I pour the coffee
I flash to the future
of how great it is going to be
with BEPS
and how it is so worth the work
of removing the layers
of their past
so that we can be together
and create our own future
new and different from the rest
Walking outside
I sigh and sit down
with BEPS intertwined
in my hands, arms, lap
we are instantly one
and we sit in silence
as the hot sun beats down on us
sweat appears on my fore head
some dried skin of BEPS is too tough
to smooth over, so I remove it
and place it in the plastic bag
We sit and work for nearly two hours
with most of the meat of BEPS
in the bowl and the rest in the
bag that will go to the trash
My shirt is drenched
my legs are pink
My head is telling me
that BEPS better be as good
as he appears
My heart sings at the possibilty of
rekindling feelings from my younger days
on the farm
that BEPS reminds me of

Then,
as the last refinement is made
and I look down into the place
where I started working on BEPS
I see
what is that?
they are tiny
and they seem to be moving
white
small
one-eyed monsters
(not the green eyed kind,
i can deal with those)
but
wriggly
nasty
grossing me out
MAGGOTS!!!!

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Run to the dumpster
with BEPS in hand
shouting
I knew it seemed too good to be true!!!
dumping them all
shells, strings, the heart and meat
of a love gone bad
because at the core
of any relationship
you don't really know
what someone is like
until you have spent enough
time and effort
to get to the core of the matter...

whether it is a man
or Blackeyed Peas
from the Farmers Market
Forest Gump said it best

You never know what you are going to get!!!