The Ice Kernel

Winter was coming- in 6 months or so - but now it was July

The stalk was hard and the sweet corn
Feared its harshness, the way
It stripped the sugar from the soil.
It was authoritative and demanding
And they called it not “General”
But “Kernel,” - “Ice Kernel” -
Because it made them as suppressed,
As underground,
As they were in winter.
When it rained, they opened the pores
On their leaves so the sun
Could get in, and the corn sweat came out.
The Ice Kernel said, “It’s too hot, it’s too hot!”
And the sweet corn said, “We do it to survive.”