by Jerome Betts

“The Apostrophe Protection Society has closed, because ‘ignorance has won.’“
—The Oldie

“Grocer’s apostrophe [in British English]: NOUN an apostrophe placed before
a final s intended to indicate the plural but in fact forming the possessive.”
—Collins Dictionary

The protectors, it seems, have begun a retreat,
The sticklers withdrawn to their lairs.
How sad it must be thus to suffer defeat
By the sellers of apple’s and pear’s.