Poem: "Haunted Gatherers"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem came out of the December 6, 2011 Poetry Fishbowl.  It was inspired by a prompt from wyld_dandelyon.  It was sponsored out of the general fund based on an audience poll.

Haunted Gatherers

In times long past,
ancestors roamed the forest wild,
suspiciously sniffing at leaves
to discern what might be safe to eat.

Today, the wrinkled nose
presides over ingredient labels:
high-fructose corn syrup,
monosodium glutamate,
artificial flavors & colors.
May contain allergens.
Or not.

Disgruntled shoppers
toss the packages
back onto the shelves

and resolve to start a garden.