ripe, Velcro, old

 "Cherry-ripe, ripe, ripe,  cry,
Full and fair ones; come and buy:
If so be, you ask me where
They do grow? I answer, there,
Where my Julia's lips do smile..."
Words by Herrick. Cherries from Matfield village fete.

Various items of apparel nowadays employ Velcro as a fastener. It was invented by Swiss engineer called De Mestral who was inspired, after a walk in the country, to investigate the way burrs stick to clothing. His invention basically consists of a two layers of material one of which is covered with tiny hooks and the other with tiny loops. When the two are pressed together they form a tight bond, which can be easily separated with a pleasing ripping sound, and joined together again with equal security.  For some time I have had in my cupboard a strip of adhesive tape with Velcro, sticky on one side, Velcro on the other. I can't remember what I bought it for, but I kept it in case it came in useful, and today,  so it does. A plastic shelf in the door of the fridge,  has come loose, because the parts which fastens it to the door have worn and snapped. The adhesive  backing  of the Velcro tape fixes firmly to the shelf and equally to the side of the door where shelf and door used to interlock. The Velcro patches now do the job  of holding the shelf  firmly in place, and the shelf can still be removed for cleaning. A| victory for technology on the one hand and old fashioned improvisation on the other.

Old fart to a former love.
Now, I am old and grey and full of sleep,
But wake up to say something amazing.
And you? You are slumped all of a heap.
Or turned out in the meadow, grazing.