Pea Shelling Bee

A bushel basket
or a half
of peas will do 

Two pairs of hands
or three (or more)

to pop the shell
where it curves

one thumb per pod
to roll the peas

from each shell half
into your palm 

then drop the round
green peas into the
collection bowl

pop pop drop
they roll and rumble

round and free 

rumble round
roll around

green marble mound
growing
as the peas rain down
from the palms
of pea shelling hands

except for those they
pop into an expectant mouth
for teeth to chomp
chomp chomp

The fingers of those busy hands
shuck and split the firm full pods
then chuck the empty
green wings into a great
soft green mound
until all pods are empty

one mound of rumble rollers
one mound of split spilt pods 

and so Kipperlings be a
pea shelling bee done 

all done!