24 April 2009

Mango Season












English Girl Eats Her First Mango

by John Agard

a kind of love poem

If I did tell she
hold this gold
of sundizzy
tonguelicking juicy
mouthwater flow
ripe with love
from the tropics
she would tell me
trust you to be
melodramatic
so I just say
taste this mango
and I watch she hold
the smooth cheeks
of the mango
blushing yellow
and a glow
rush to she own cheeks
and she ask me
what do I do now
just bite into it?
and I was tempted
to tell she
why not be a devil
and eat of the skin
of original sin
but she woulda tell me
trust you to be
mysterious
so I just say
it’s up to you
if you want to peel it
and I watch she feel it
as something precious
then she smile and say
looks delicious
and I tell she
don’t waste sweet words
when sweetness
in your hand
just bite it man
peel it with the teeth
that God give you
or better yet
do like me mother
used to do
and squeeze
till the flesh
turn syrup
nibble a hole
then suck the gold
like bubby
in child mouth
squeeze and tease out
every drop of spice
sounds nice
me friend tell me
and I remind she
that this ain’t
apple core
so don’t forget
the seed
suck that too
the sweetest part
the juice does run
down to you heart
man if you see
the English rose
she face was bliss
down to the pink
of she toes
and when she finish
she smile
and turn to me
lend me your hanky
my fingers
are all sticky
with mango juice
and I had to tell she
what hanky
you talking bout
you don’t know
when you eat mango
you hanky
is you tongue
man just lick
you finger
you call that
culture
lick you finger
you call that
culture
unless you prefer
to call it
colonization
in reverse

8 comments:

  1. Nice!!!! ha ha...did u write that? magoes are coming into season here too (^_^)

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  2. OOps! should have read more carefully! sorry ^_^

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  3. No, Sabrina, John Agard. I wish I could write like that, I love his words and mangoes too, everyone remembers their first mango don't they?

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  4. Yay, well said John Agard! It is just as he wrote.

    I really don't remember my first mango, but I do remember certain mangoes and stories with them, haha...

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  5. GG, well tell me now? ha ha. x

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  6. Today is the fist hot day in Maryland, I am just in from the garden for a drink of water, but oh....how I wish I had a mango!! I love this poem, its an instant new favorite.
    Thank you for sharing!

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  7. Hi Peggy, I am so glad the sun came out for you. This poem says so much , I love it, never fails to make me smile, as does T who leaves mangoes for me by my computer when I am not looking. I will eat one for you x

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  8. this is beautiful. thank you for sharing.

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thanks for visiting, it is lovely to see you here.

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