The Queen of the garden
pampered, powdered, perfumed
her ancestor
kidnapped in China
a century ago
by an enthusiastic agent
panning for agricultural gold.
Its spindly boughs of the idle rich
dripping
canary yellow diamonds
scrubbed of autumn’s
streaky sooty tears
destined for jarred preservation
to make even the most spoilt sultan
swoon.
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#california #meyerlemon #preservedlemon #winterfood

(at At Home in Napa)