Strawberries

Sweet dark red fruit,
The slightest touch
Brought a river of juice
From the fragile cell wall

Ahh, but they have been
Improved.
The new strawberry
Bright red and gigantic,
This California marvel
Even two weeks
After picking.
Like a fifteen year old
Swimsuit model
Beautiful, perfectly shaped
This ersatz specimen
Sits atop the biscuit
Like bloodless stone.

I miss the fruit that
Stained my fingers
Gave up juice unending,
Forced me to tend to them
Immediately, lest they
Be taken by mold,
Soaked the biscuits
And still enough to
Slurp from the bowl,
Swirled with
Luscious whipped cream.