bitter lemons

take a hundred pounds of clay

my friend

and a hundred gallons of sea

and forty days of wind and rain

behold the lemon tree

the tree it bears a holy fruit

a product of the earth

good book tells how the snake

it sucked the sweetness from the dirt

the gods are laughing

they watch us grappling

what will we do with bitter lemons?

how tart the apple

how sweet the grape

no where in heaven are bitter lemons?

a dozen packets of seeds

my friend

six yards of midnight soil

build a fence to keep the voodoo away

mix vinegar with oil

when the fruit begins to sprout

i sensed the mighty power

the tomatoes sweet

and red as a beet

but the lemons have gone sour

i took a pretty woman for my wife

and dressed her in white lace

i laid her on the bed of lilies

ran her like a race

i squeezed the lemons in the jar

now i've got it made

mmmm. taste like sugar baby

sweet as lemonade