Peach Poem by gershon hepner

When Browning said a man must reach
beyond what he can grasp
he might have meant the sort of peach
that makes a mortal gasp,
the peach whose skin starts losing fluff
as soon as it is ripe,
a fruit that finds all handling rough,
for ripe fruit are the type
that very easily will bruise
if gathered without care.

Touch peaches gently when you choose
to pick them if you dare,
as dare you must if you would eat
a fruit that’s worth its weight
in gold juice that is such a treat
unless you’re one day late
or one day early, when you’ll miss
the glory that is peach
that makes each bite seem like a kiss
at sunset on the beach.


Schuyler Ingle writes “Fishing for a Perfect Peach” in the Food Section of the peach in the LA Times, August 27,1997. He likes Reginas and Dabab Cocks that comes from places like Frog Hollow Farms and Pence Farms. He says that you must watch the brix, which is the sugar content, and pick the peach when a flick of the stem will make the fruit fall. Also, the peaches may not be stacked.

8/27/97,11/22/09