Pumpkin Poem (Reposted For Thanksgiving.)

Pumpkin . I’m A melon From which pies are made. Have a fright? I used to cure snakebite! And I removed speckles from people with freckles. 90% water, oh, so delicious. There’s more. I’m nutritious. Eat me. What, can I say? You’ll get potassium and vitamin A. That’s why I’ve been used in soups and stews. And not just in pies, Surprise! Surprise!!! Here’s a fact that’s incredible. My flowers are edible. Earliest ancestors’ seeds were N-a-t-i-v-e to the A-m-e-r-i-c-a-s. Believe!!! Did you know? My h-e-r-e-d-i-t-y dates back to 5,000 years. Long, long ago! That’s not all. Native Americans, with honey in vats, used me to weave their mats. Here are some facts to make your mind glisten. Early settlers used to- now listen! Make C_R_U_S_T_S!!! That’s right, I was used in piecrust and NOT poured inside. That seems in some ways eerily chilling! A pumpkin piecrust with cherry pie filling Oh, what’s all the fuss about pumpkin piecrust? Minced meat? Or a peachy treat! Welcome. Come in. Join the fun. Prop up your feet, in the shade, not the sun. Squash. Cucumbers. We’re all kin. Can you guess what family we’re in? Cucurbita. I’ll say it again and again. Our family name is Cucurbita. Cucurbita! Cucurbita! Cucurbita! Cucurbita! Cucurbita! We're not just jack-o-lanterns. See!!! *** Pumpkins posess history *** © Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen August 27, 2009