The first tomatoes of the season
are smooth, solid, red, and succulent.
Ready to be picked, sliced and served
on a sandwich or salad,
diced and put into a salsa,
boiled then mashed and added
to a sauce or soup.
They start off as a light green shoot
peeking through the soil
become a vine with small blossoms
turned to luscious fruit.
First they're green then red.
They can be small like cherries
medium sized like apples,
or large like pink grapefruits.
Letting them ripen on the vine
brings out their flavor.
Easy to grow in a garden.
With a little attention
they can be plentiful
enough to fill baskets and barrels
and canned for the winter ahead.
After they’re sewn and grown,
but before they're gathered
take a whiff, bury your face in them
then pick a tomato, wash it
and bite into it raw,
let the juice and seeds drip down
your lips, along your chin and off your jaw.
Tomatoes bring people together
for meals and good conversations.
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