The Big Apple Weekend

THE BIG APPLE WEEKEND IN HEREFORDSHIRE
This next weekend sees again the celebration for the cider apple and the perry pear. This time last year I was at Woodredding Farm, Much Marcle where outside our accommodation the old oaken press stood and was being used to press Winnal's Longdon perry pears. The taste was superb as the juice drained from them but the taste of the actual fruit was face-pullingly awful. Two extremes, I thought to myself, and this prompted me to write a short poem on the virtues of this pear and a Hanging Pearmain, a cider apple - much like an ugly ducking to a swan comparison. At the same time there was much media talk about the features of celebrities - hence the reference contained in a line or two.
The initial idea came via The Ledbury Poetry Festival and The Apple Orchard of which I have made contributions to in an attempt to fill their Apple barrel full of poems. However, this is one they have not seen.


THE ODD ONE -
HANGING PEARMAIN
TO WINNAL'S LONGDON
I have other friends.
Shapes and sizes that don't fit,
food for some to pick upon.
Well, they would, wouldn't they?
Less round, pear shaped, nose
too big for the job they said, except
it won two gold medals and was in
the forefront to see them gleam
with pride. The wild yeasts carry
our kisses on the wind. It's what's
on the inside that matters. Pure Gold.