Peeling back the layers
You grow them yourself.
Lovingly, preparing the soil.
Planting, mulching,
weeding and watering.
Confident your harvest
will yield a sound crop.
Are you not known far and wide
for your fabulous onions!
The day comes when you reach for the first one.
It looks so firm and wholesome.
But when you squeeze it, it feels a little squishy.
When you sniff it, you get a faint whiff
of something slightly amiss.
You gingerly peel back the first firm layer
to expose the second.
Brown and yucky. Superficial you think.
Onto the next. Worse.
One by one you peel back the layers,
hoping you will eventually get to
a solid, healthy, honest core.
Alas, each layer reveals even more damage.
All you have before you is a rotten slimy mess.
You can be sure you have more bad onions in your stash.
You know what to look for.
Start squeezing, sniffing and peeling back the layers.
It’s time to sort your onions.
