Sour Grapes°

A hungry fox was walking along

And spied some very familiar shapes.

Deep in a garden he noticed a trellis

From which were hanging some bunches of grapes.

 

"I must have those grapes," he thought.

He took a giant leap but found

The fruit too high and so he landed

Empty-handed back on the ground.

 

"This is not a good thing at all.

Perseverance!" he said, but when

He leaped into the air for the fruit,

He landed empty-handed again.

 

"Darn!" he exclaimed. "Not to eat

Those luscious grapes would be a crime,"

And so the exasperated fox

Attempted to reach them one more time.

 

But, alas, once more he failed.

"Oh, well," he sighed. "Some other day.

Why did I waste my time? Those grapes

Were probably sour, anyway."

 

Of course, the fable has a moral:

Often we become upset

And criticize and denigrate

Whatever it is that we can't get.

 

Ah, but there's another lesson:

Why rush to grab the grapes on the vine

When we can wait a little longer

And then partake of some heavenly wine?

 

-by Bob B (8-25-21)

 

°An Aesop fable, "The Fox and the Grapes," retold here in verse