For a savvy armchair activist 
big issues are no problem— 
war, whales, treason, tyranny 
just a click away.
High dudgeon registered, 
petition signed.

But where do we protest the mundane? 
The tasteless strawberry, modified
by an Arctic flounder’s cold-resistant gene, 
mass produced, rushed to market, 
photosynthesis cut short.

I remember a day in a strawberry patch— 
bursts of sweetness,
dribbles of juice on my chin,
as I picked, sampled, filling baskets
in Southern California summer heat.

And the stress of multiplying choices? 
Yes, Heinz had 57 varieties, 
Baskin-Robbins 31 flavors—
but coffee was coffee,
vinegar was red, white and cider, 
olive oil was just that,
and if there were any extra-virgins— 
we didn’t advertise.