Quartering this ripe pear br - a knife-and-fork job; it gave little away br except a slight softness around the stalk, br yet seems to contain more juice than br any work of man could hold - br br quartering this ripe pear, br I'm caught up in wonder: br this is almost too good for human beings - br it should have a religion built around its praise; br br as if it wishes to tell us something br that we might have overlooked br about such mouth-worn phrases as br Nature's bounty and God's grace.. br br or as if, two thousand years ago, br it had leaned, heavy on its branch, br from the wall of Plato's leafy Academy, br saw him writing of ideals, br and smiled; br br and now I've written that, br I can eat this pear, br tasting it and what I've written; br br this pear, I swear, br now tastes even better; br as if I had submitted br on some altar, to be consumed by praise; br praise that tastes of pear; pear that tastes of praise.