At the dining room table,
her blonde pigtails askew
sat a young girl of twelve
eyeing her mother’s beef stew.
Slumping deep in her chair,
she felt weak at the knees
knowing deep in the bowl
lurked loads of gross peas.
The rule of the house
which the girl thought unfair
before being excused
she had to eat a fair share.
Chewing small stalks of broccoli
was like eating tiny green trees
while the bland taste of cauliflower
could be improved with cheese.
Onions were fine
on hot dogs and such
while tomatoes on salads
she didn’t mind so much.
Left raw and uncooked
carrots weren’t really that bad.
She shared them with Pinhead
the black pony she had.
But peas for some reason
left her sick and uneasy
their mushy consistency
always made her feel queasy.
But several weeks earlier
she’d had a brilliant thought
a way to escape
without getting caught.
When her mom wasn’t looking
while at the table she sat
she’d pack peas in her cheeks
like a little pack rat
With her plate fairly clean
wiping her mouth with a dab
with a smile and wave
she’d scuttle out like a crab.
To the patch of green grass
she would quickly hightail it,
ridding her mouthful of peas
with a well practiced spit.
So, knowing her plan
she dug into her stew
leaving the disgusting old peas
until she was almost through.
So it came as shock when
her mom sat down to speak
as she sat with those veggies
stuffed inside her cheeks.
With a smile and a nod
her mom started to say,
“You’ll never guess where I
picked those peas today”
“As I watered the lawn
on this side of our home,
I saw blooms of pea pods
near the old garden gnome.”
“They were ripe and ready
nearly dripping with pods
so I picked them for dinner
although I must say it’s odd.”
“You see, I never bought seeds
Nor planted a garden
In that spot or near there
of that I’m quite certain.”
Her mother looked gently
into the little girl’s eyes.
“So how those plants got there
I can only surmise.”
Feeling cornered and caught
the girl lost all bravado.
unable to leave
she could only swallow.
With a hack and a grimace
leaving her mother amused,
“Take your plate to the sink.
Now you may be excused”
The moral’s annoying
but it has to be said.
parents really do have eyes
in the back of their head.