The Modern Cultivated Parsnip

tough, wiry
root, tapering
somewhat from the crown,
erect stem,
high, tough and furrowed,
long leaf-stalks, finely toothed                 at their margins

under The Modern Parsnip
the wild plant, a smooth
somewhat paler color:
flowers in each case yellow
umbels at stem-ends,
like the carrot,


but better.

Parsnip 'seeds' as the fruit is commonly called, are pleasantly aromatic.

I am the student

The Parsnip, together with the carrot, was cultivated by the Ancients, but the Roman horticulturists evidently knew nothing of the advantage of selecting seeds, by means of which the best existing variety has been developed. Pliny tells us it was grown either from the root transplanted or else from seed, but that it was impossible to get rid of the pungent flavour. The finest strain raised by Professor Buckrnan, between 1848 and 1850, as a result of his experiments in selection, was named by him 'The Student,' and having been further improved, still takes the first rank.

Metered Logic; A timestamp; Edible Reductio

recipes are theft;
poems are recipes;
poems are theft

I without meter, but history withstanding

A parsnip has no meter,
although I am a foot.

Near a post,
Near a blade of grass.
Nearest delicate columbine,
yellow-burst genuflection:
wet low yard bird bath rain.

Near white,
almost bitter,
not carrot,
orange and green but
dormant summer droop.

      Sam,
I would throw the baby out.
Meter is dark need in want of necessity,
earthy tones of things better remembered fondly
than frontly      .

I made that word up.
Frontly. Now, Sam. Frontly.
Stupid dog-barking meter,
      up and down.
Frontly, Sam,
in my face
acid warmth: like her New
Mexico floral bitterness.

The rain, Sam, falls mainly on the plain,
everyday way of talking and
idiots make tradition natural,
reflex, recollection,
fond remembrance for days that never were.
      Sam,
there never was any Greece, no Homer,
no brave Odysseus;
nor Comedy. That's right, no incipit vita
whoop-dee-do.

There is only a candle and what they call a grave,
but Florence buys the feul for that lamp.
Yes, sam, it is a bit funny.
You do remember your master's voice, after all.

Come now.
In my face,
warmly,
frontly.

...I will return at the end of May...

a bent nail poking
out of a red fence post
superimposed against
a midwestern sky

this fence, of course,
blocks A Horizon.

Like a stick in the mud.

Significance of Metabolism

A parsnip

must endure
near-freezing
temperatures
serially
two to four
weeks in fall,
early winter

for starch to
become sugar:
strong,
sweet,
unique
taste.


How does the vehicle of metabolism affect the tenor of metaphor?

Metonymically: Is the relationship between Metabolism and Metaphor,

Metaphor metabolizes...
            OR
Metabolism metaphorizes...

?

recipes are theft;poems are recipes;poems are theft

SPICED PARSNIP SOUP
1 1/2 lb parsnips, peeled and cubed
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cardamon seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
2 pints vegetable stock

Dry roast the seeds and grind together. Saute the onion and garlic. Add the
spices and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the parsnips and stock and
simmer gently until tender. Puree and serve.

A Pre-Umbrist Rosti

POTATO AND PARSNIP ROSTI
8 oz potatoes, grated
8 oz parsnips, grated
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
2 tbsp chopped chives
3 fl oz yogurt

Mix everything together and season to taste. Pour into a shallow baking dish,
cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes until
becoming crisp and brown. Serve with pumpkin casserole.

Who is Crony?

Who will eat my bitter tail?

What is umbrism?

heteronyms are wasted in the hands & minds of children.

Browned Parsnips

Serving Size: 1

parsnips
salt
boiling water
flour

Scrub parsnips clean, drop into lightly salted, boiling water, and cook for 20
to 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain, scrape off the skin, split lengthwise,
and pull out the stringy cores. Dip the pieces in flour and fry in fat until g
olden brown . Or mash the parsnips after the cores have been removed, season,
and form into small cakes before frying.