The Blighted Barbecue

This very amusing poem was written by Teresa Harrison-Best … with arrival of Summer it’s now time to dream of long hot summer evenings and the infamous barbecue. Or is it??

The Blighted Barbecue

How proud he stood, the King of Grill,
connoisseur of all things seared.
He posed there as a demigod,
the griddle commandeered.

A shiny, brand new barbecue,
constructed by his hand,
supersized and gleaming there,
the finest in the land.

Wearing apron and a matching hat,
he looked the perfect part,
a plethora of assorted tools
each one a state of art.

Busying in the kitchen
was his wife of several years.
His number one assistant
on the barbecue frontier.

Her marinades and salads
were a legend to behold.
The salmon looked magnificent,
cooked to be served cold.

Invited neighbours will arrive
to the smell of griddled fare.
Those finest cuts and juicy ribs
will waft the summer air.

He stands erect with beer in hand
surveyor of his space.
Self-satisfied and looking smug,
a smile across his face.

The food is placed strategically
and the grilling now begins.
Ribs and steaks and sausages,
potatoes in their skins.

From slumbers deep the cat appears
with the dog now stretching too.
Their twitching noses fix the scent
of that wonderful barbecue.

Temptation now too much to bear
the pair prepare to strike.
Eyeing up the chow on show
and everything they’d like.

The dog goes for the sizzling ribs
whilst the cat plumbs for the fish.
They plunder all the meat they can
from every single dish.

As he tried to grab the fleeing pair
the barbecue collapsed
What food remained then hit the deck
the crows then saw as scraps.

Covered now in beer and grease
he gave up on the chase.
The only thing that had survived
was dressing on his face.

With dog and cat now gratified
and sleeping in the sun.
The door bell chimes to welcomed guests
for barbecue and fun.

The warrior of the outdoor grill
now broken and distraught.
No longer was it rib eyed steaks
instead just food for thought!

Written by Teresa Harrison-Best

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Teresa H-B

Teresa lives in Worthing with her husband Stuart and their three rescue cats. She has recently retired from a long career in the Health and Social care sector, and has taken up Mosaics, Pilates and walking cricket. Her love of writing has always been prevalent throughout her life, and she wrote Catawall, fluent in feline following major surgery as a form of therapy. Her love of rhyme and rhythm feature in Catawall and her subsequent children’s books featuring Mackerel a piratical cat who captures the heart of everyone, even the ships mice and rats! ‘Mackerel and The Jolly Daisy’, ‘Mackerel and the Treasure Map’ and ‘Mackerel Saves the Day’. Her latest project Doggee Longlegs enters young fiction aimed at older children. Doggee is about young dog who starts life in a rescue shelter, overlooked on the homing day. Teresa is a great advocate of all animals and feels passionately about animal welfare, both at home and abroad.

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