Tomatoes

OHO! Just a poem written in English class. About tomatoes.

TOMATOES:
OVERRIPE, OVERGROWN, UNDER APPRECIATED.
LIKE HAPPINESS, DESTROYED AND LEFT TO ROT.

FORCED TO RIPEN WHILE THEY
ARE STILL
IMMATURE.
WHO WILL SAVE THEM?
THESE CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN
FORCED
TO GROW UP?
THESE TOMATOES CULTIVATED FOR THEIR SIZE,
THEIR LACK OF FLAVOUR,
THEIR SPEEDY GROWTH.
MEANT FOR LITTLE MORE THAN
SUPERMARKET SHELVES AND
REFRIDGERATORS.
NOT SAVOURED, NOR TASTED.
ONLY SCARFED DOWN OR LEFT TO ROT,
TO GROW MOLD, TO GROW OLD,
TO SHRIVEL AND DIE.

WHAT USE DO THESE TOMATOES HAVE?
WHY ARE THEY GROWN?
TO NOURISH US, BRING US JOY,
HAPPINESS.
BUT WE HAVE TRIED TOO HARD
TO MOLD HAPPINESS
AND HAVE INSTEAD,
DESTROYED IT.

IN OUR SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS,
WE HAVE DESTROYED IT.

BUT IN THIS DESOLATE WORLD,
THE TRUE TOMATO SITS
IN A GARDEN
SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS:
SQUASH, PUMPKINS, GRAPES,
MINT, ROSEMARY, THYME.

BUT IN THIS DESOLATE WORLD,
TRUE HAPPINESS SITS
NOT IN MONEY, SUCCESS,
TEST SCORES OR SUPERMARKED SHELVES.
TRUE HAPPINESS SITS
WITHIN OUR FAMILY,
OUR FRIENDS, OUR TEACHERS.
IT SITS WITHIN OURSELVES.

SO DO NOT OVERGROW YOUR TOMATOES.
DO NOT LET THEM ROT.
DO NOT TREAT THEM AS MERE SUSTENANCE.
SAVOUR THEM.
ENJOY THEM.
AND BE HAPPY.