The artichoke sits on my plate
A vegetable that begs debate
The novice may but sit and bristle
when asked to eat the ugly thistle.
The uninformed defy all taste
And call the bud a terrible waste.
But others, like the connoisseur
Or grand gourmand, will all concur
The artichoke of lovely green
Is not a veggie to demean.
To scrape the teeth against its leaf
Brings utter joy, however brief,
And when one bites into the heart
Gastronomy is set apart!
Now, as for me and this debate
I find it wise to abdicate.

Posted with kind permission of the author.

This ode was among more than 100 responses to our invitation to write an ode to an “ordinary thing.” We share it here with delight and gratitude.