I do not like the artichoke;
I call it a botanic joke.
Another name for it: cardoon.
It looks like something on the moon.
The plant can grow to six feet tall;
It's best when hidden by a wall.
It might pass muster as a flower,
But, as food, it makes me cower.
Amongst a host of boring facts:
It features involucral bracts,
And these, as things turn out, are edible.
People love the taste. Incredible.
I've more to say, but not too much;
They came to England from the Dutch.
Globe artichokes are nature's curse;
Jerusalems are even worse.
