"Wild Strawberries"

"Are Wild Strawberries really wild?

Will they scratch an adult, will they snap at a child?

Should you pet them, or let them run free where they roam?

Could they ever relax in a steam-heated home?

Can they be trained to not growl at the guests?

Will a litter box work or would they leave a mess?

Can we make them a Cowberry, herding the cows

Or maybe a Muleberry pulling the plows,

Or maybe a Huntberry chasing the grouse,

Or maybe a Watchberry guarding the house,

And though they may curl up at your feet oh so sweetly,

Can you ever feel that you trust them completely?

Or should we make a pet out of something less scary,

Like the Domestic Prune or the Imported Cherry,

Anyhow, you've been warned, and I will not be blamed

If your Wild Strawberry cannot be tamed."

(--Shel Silverstein)