Spinach Poem by gershon hepner

Spinach



It comes from places east of Greenwich,
the Himalayas, Persia.
They say it’s good for you, so spinach
moves men who have inertia,
unlike some other healthy plants
like peas and beans, alfalfa;
if you don’t like it there’s a chance
you’re beta, not an alpha.

The amaranth would like to be
a spinach plant, it’s not;
it’s Chinese spinach, plain to see,
and cooked in woks when hot.
The kangkong, Southeast Asian green,
is water spinach, but
real spinach it has never been -
my mind on this is shut.

There’s crinkly spinach and there’s flat,
but I find flat far sweeter;
give crinkly spinach to your cat,
I’m not a crinkled eater.
Give me flat spinach, it’s so tender,
and what I love to eat;
I won’t exclaim: “Return to sender! ”
because it is so sweet.

Please leave two inches of the stem,
delightful, so, to crunch,
unlike the crinkly I condemn,
whose leaves I hate to munch.
Kids’ love for it’s conditional -
don’t tell them it is healthy,
they hate that it’s nutritional,
prepare it being stealthy.

Let garlic and red-pepper be
mixed well with olive oil,
add ginger to your repartee,
they’re fabulous as foil
to spinach, when you’ve coated them
with oil of sesame.
and when you’ve quickly sautéed them
enjoy the recipe.



Do not forget to add some salt,
when serving spinach warm;
if you do this kids find no fault
and sometimes may reform.
Though they can’t share your cool crisp wine,
a Chardonnay, Tokay,
some Seven-Up will do quite fine
while following Popeye.

You’d like to have a less mean time
Than sailors have in Greenwich?
Then add cilantro, chives and thyme,
And sip your wine with spinach.

4/2/97