These Strawberries Are

these strawberries are
pale and immature
exempt from flavor and essence.
empty ghosts and guillotined heads
tumble into the garbage moaning

“we traveled half the word to be here
picked by tiny rugged hands,
trucked across nations in refrigerated cars
passed through ports
deposited, tagged, over-priced
out-of-season prostitutes
demanding your allegiance

we express regret for our gaudy dryness
we were bred for profit not satisfaction
more oil than berry
more loss than gain

we are the end of the earth
impetus for waste
no more whole
than you.