The artichoke br With a tender heart br Dressed up like a warrior, br Standing at attention, it built br A small helmet br Under its scales br It remained br Unshakeable, br By its side br The crazy vegetables br Uncurled br Their tendrills and leaf-crowns, br Throbbing bulbs, br In the sub-soil br The carrot br With its red mustaches br Was sleeping, br The grapevine br Hung out to dry its branches br Through which the wine will rise, br The cabbage br Dedicated itself br To trying on skirts, br The oregano br To perfuming the world, br And the sweet br Artichoke br There in the garden, br Dressed like a warrior, br Burnished br Like a proud br Pomegrante. br And one day br Side by side br In big wicker baskets br Walking through the market br To realize their dream br The artichoke army br In formation. br Never was it so military br Like on parade. br The men br In their white shirts br Among the vegetables br Were br The Marshals br Of the artichokes br Lines in close order br Command voices, br And the bang br Of a falling box. br br But br Then br Maria br Comes br With her basket br She chooses br An artichoke, br She's not afraid of it. br She examines it, she observes it br Up against the light like it was an egg, br She buys it, br She mixes it up br In her handbag br With a pair of shoes br With a cabbage head and a br Bottle br Of vinegar br Until br She enters the kitchen br And submerges it in a pot. br br Thus ends br In peace br This career br Of the armed vegetable br Which is called an artichoke, br Then br Scale by scale, br We strip off br The delicacy br And eat br The peaceful mush br Of its green heart.