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I have doubts on sprouts
But peas they please
And parsnips give me pleasure
But of all the veg
I give this pledge
Potatoes are my treasure;
Chipped or baked
Or mashed or boiled
Tossed in a pan when gently oiled
The common spud is really great
A must on every dinner plate.
Cometh the meal, cometh the hour
Some folk favour the cauliflower
Parsnip, turnip, marrow, swede
All have their place when we need to feed
But whilst all have their turn
And some need to wait
The veggie that's certain on every plate
Watering the mouth, exciting taste buds
The humble, the versatile, ubiquitous spuds.
They may not be pretty
They may have no sheen
No carroty orange, no broccoli green
No cabbagey colours of reds, greens or whites
No beetrooty purple - all fanciful sights
But for full satisfaction
For all-round delight
For full English breakfasts or suppers at night
For buffets or banquets
Fast food or set lunch
The potato is king
The best of the bunch.
© by Nick Balmforth.
Used with the author's permission.
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Nick Balmforth is a retired safety inspector of children's indoor play centres. His primary published work has been in the field of safety standardization for the British and European indoor play industry and he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his contributions in 2012. Nick was also a successful voice-over artist. In addition to writing poetry, he enjoys jazz. Nick lives in Staffordshire, England, where he says, "Life right now is one long rest. that's the style that suits me best!"
 
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fer:
This poem makes me wish I was still a classroom teacher so I could share this delightful poem with my students!
Posted 08/21/2016 10:01 AM
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Larry Schug:
As someone that spent a number of years working on a potato farm, I appreciate this poem very much, though there were times we said some uncomplimentary things about those tubers, especially when loading a couple semi-truck loads of hundred pound bags every day for a few weeks, but we always had spud for lunch in all the many forms they could be prepared. Nice poem!
Posted 08/19/2016 07:15 PM
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Lori Levy:
Like the humor in this poem!
Posted 08/19/2016 09:36 AM
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Jancan:
Nick, I love this well-written, enter-
taining poem! Janice
Posted 08/19/2016 08:12 AM
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rhonasheridan:
What a wonderful poem Nick! As full of delight as the vegetables you depict. Especially - of course - the spud
Posted 08/19/2016 07:55 AM
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Sarah Russell:
When we lived in England, I loved the "Jacket Potato" stands on the streets of Oxford. I can still taste those potatoes with gobs of butter and Branson's Pickle. Yum!!
Posted 08/19/2016 07:30 AM
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