Sweet Strawberry Demise

 
Her life was seldom  
a bowl of cherries
only the sourest grapes
she could never quite  
spit  
 
If just one  
had stuck in her throat
after he died
she'd have been smugger  
than freshly baked bread
choking happily
on her just desserts
until mashed banana  
made whoopee with dust
 
She'd strolled under ladders  
whenever she could
sailed through traffic  
jaywalking her nose in the air  
with scarcely the thought
of a second look
On the windiest nights  
she slept out alone  
by coconut grove
shook her stick at lightning
from the top of the hill
but retribution for such  
foolishness
never struck once
 
Life made her sadder  
and sourer by the year
as the burden grew heavier
she could hardly see  
and barely walk  
though she never quite  
ground down the grit
to end it for herself
 
If she thought God had ears
she would have told him
in no uncertain terms:
Look here, sonny
we need to talk
Enough is enough  
Instead of some home  
you can lay me to rest now
but better make it quick--
one last strawberry
real fat and juicy
that big one  
swallowed whole
ought to do the trick