Parsley, oh parsley, you wondrous herb!
You raise any dish’s caliber from just mediocre to superb!
With bright green leaves, curly or flat,
Your versatility amazes us, and we are grateful for that.
You freshen our breath just when we need it most,
Like if we eat too much garlic, or a big, heavy roast.
And you keep us healthy and strong, with vitamins A, B, and C,
Plus calcium and iron, too – all that, completely fat-free!
Those ancient Greeks knew of your worth, crowning winners with your leaves,
Figuring you were good enough for mere mortals if you were good enough for Hercules.
And those Romans found use for you even when facing death,
Sprinkling you to freshen corpses, just like you freshen our breath!
Yes, your wonders are many, and without you no chef could live.
If it seems we take you granted sometimes, we ask you to forgive.
For we know that without you, there’d be no bouquet garni,
And the world would have to live without wonderful tabbouleh.
You’re the ultimate team player, helping other foods excel and bask in glory.
But while they may get all the fame, do not doubt that we know the true story.
For without you, they’d be just another soup, another vegetable on the plate.
But it is thanks to your panache that they meet another fate…
They rise to culinary heights previously unknown,
Then take all the credit with an ego quite overblown.
So, dear parsley, with eternal gratitude we offer you our praise,
And with reverence most high, to you our toast we raise!