Lemon Dares

These days we use knives,
slicing into gin or
carefully quartering
to stuff a hen or dress
a summer salad.


I remember it differently
as yellow electricity,
the sourest thing yet,
enough to make your 
toes curl


and how we used to dare
to see who could 
eat one whole.
Dare - first the flesh 
in segments.


Double dare - peeled, 
unseparated,
all down in one.
Triple dare - unpeeled,
leather, pith and flesh,
all down together.


You have to open 
your mouth
as wide as it will go
to get it in, bite hard,
chew fast and 
swallow.


It helps if you
take a deep breath
and close your eyes.