Berries

I’ve written of foods that are secretly fruits.
Now I’d like to move on to the berry.
It too has a certain botanical meaning
That differs from one culinary.

We tend to apply the term “berry” to fruits
That are edible, pulpy, and small.
But strawberries, raspberries, blackberries—these
Are not actual berries at all.

For starters, a berry is simple and fleshy,
With seeds but without a hard pit.
It comes from one flower containing one ov’ry
And lacks special lines for a split.

Thus, berries include avocados, bananas,
Tomatoes, persimmons, grapes, currants,
And various melons, along with the fruit
Of the nightshade, which has its deterrents.