understanding lemons

lemons don’t let you admire yourself too much
they stick from their tree like awkward thoughts
demanding a truth be told even if the tongue
would prefer a far more sickly explanation 

lemons are perfect though for the need to jump 

straight out of bed on the eagerest of mornings 

into the task that must have no nonsense about it 

they have no truck with laziness or the idle hope 

they can be easily misunderstood - their sourness 

their association in sayings with the poorest of the lot 

their way of squirting you in the eye when being cut 

they don’t have much emollience in their nature 

you can’t get that close to lemons - they stand firm 

in their separate place asking to be respected - then 

they will give what they’ve got like waxed nurses 

offer you their own prim recipes for a healthy life