The challenge is to think of a fruit, how it looks before and after it has been cut open, and how it tastes. Think about where and how it grows, and what it makes you think of. You may choose to write a poem in the style of Imtiaz Dharker, or you can explore the fruit in another way and in any form you wish. Whichever you choose, your poem should appeal to the senses. If you are new to the Poets Pub, here’s how to join in: Write a poem in response to the challenge. Enter a link directly to your poem and your name by clicking Mr Linky below and remember to check the little box to accept the use/privacy policy. You will find links to other poets and more will join so check back later to read their poems. Read and comment on other poets’ work – we all come here to have our poems read. Please link back to dVerse from your site/blog. Comment and participate in our discussion below, if you like. We are a friendly bunch of poets. Have fun.
Oh, Ooooh, how I love the prompts here at dVerse.
For this one,
I latched onto the part of the prompt that read,
what it makes you think of.
And since I’ve seen many talking about apples…
I want to tell you about what it was like
when red apples arrived in the Caribbean.
What about refrigeration, you’ll want to know.
Yup, that’s my question too.
Oh, I hope you like this one.
***
An apple a day is said to work real magic That it keeps the good doctor far away And that its crunch can make you Salivate, send you running Climbing, plucking Fruit of the gods Versatile--Yum. But I only saw apples at Christmastime When the red fruit made decorating Pleasing and fun It also made bulk in my holidays stocking Stuffed together with an Orange— The Orange was the Apple of my eye! But to not have apples was to skip on one joy of Christmas, that made rooms smell like Hallmark Christmases In storybooks Maddened the already fattened-hog But Like tinsel, just decoration after all They smelled ripe But the inside, saggy, mushy It’s a wonder why housewives sought, and dozens bought But not to make American pies or Viennese strudels Just so they’d be devoured in the pigsty Giving rise to preparation, two days before Christmas And the next, the pig roasting in an open spit Then one year, Mom thought of cloves on apples That ran neatly from the bottom to the top One pierce and the apple— puff! It exploded on our li’l faces That magazine never warned Mom of such fate. So you see, I had no need to cut into an apple And as such, I never found out what it looked like From inside. Oh, mamey You're king But you need parental guidance I'll grab me a golden plum, an orange Grab me a mango too All they take is sharp teeth, And no permission to handle kitchenware Then again, Who knows what they look like from inside You don’t look You slurp Until All Gone * © 2021 selmamartin.com
On very good years, my siblings and I managed to bite into a couple of apples,
but those were not crunchy, I tell you.
But don’t cry for me, I have since had the pleasure of enjoying apples the
way they’re meant to be enjoyed.
Fruit worthy of poetry!
***
Picture: Public Domain
Dish of Apples. 1876–77
Paul Cézanne French
THANKS FOR READING
I wish you miracles.
I’m a simple woman who dares to see the beauty in ordinary. I’d love to connect with you and like pen pals, I want something beautiful to blossom between us. Will you join me? Selma is my middle name. Its meaning—peaceful, complete, are euphoric affirmations I like to think of myself as having. They compliment the joy I feel when I write. I sincerely hope you decide to join me on my writing journey. I Wish You Miracles.
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Glorious depictions of those warm memories, you so joyously painted.
Thank you for sharing.
Darius, Glad you came to read. I appreciate your words in the comment. Thanks. Be well.
Such a cute memory, Selma 🙂
<3
David
Yeah, cute. Mom read about sticking rows of cloves on Apples to enjoy the spicy scent as the winter season lingered on an on in apple-country.
But this is not what happens in hot countries. Those poor apples had no crunch left once they arrived in sunny-land.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate. 😉 💕
We stuck cloves into oranges… their skin can handle it better.
Yeah, into oranges. But oranges were too common a fruit, you see. I guess it’s human nature.
Just today I read a comment from a nice lady that said that she never photographs Robins. “They are too common,” she said.
Hmm. Not to me, they aren’t… (but hummingbirds are– common)
But such is life, our environment sometimes dictates our choices. Life!
Thanks for the comment. I like it when you visit. Be well. I wish you miracles.
Lovely memory turned poem. Enjoyed it. 🙂
Lovely memory turned into a poem. 🙂 Enjoyed it.
Hey. Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed the memory. Thanks for the visit. xoxo
I’m delighted you enjoy the prompts at dVerse, Selma, and that you wanted to tell us about what it was like when red apples arrived in the Caribbean. We get so excited about Caribbean fruit and veg that we forget that apples don’t grow there. I’d forgotten about the joy of the apple’s crunch until I read your poem! And it’s a novelty to think of apples as a Christmas fruit. Amazing memories, Selma!
Yeah, Kim. The prompts here are delightful indeed. I will return for more.
Glad you enjoyed the story and learned something about how the other half managed things. 😉
Apples and Christmas. Yup. To this day apples remind me of that special time of year.
Thanks for reading. Blessings. I wish you miracles.
Just as we can never really taste the real tropical plants it must be the same way in the other direction… I remember a collogue from Malaysia when she had her first fresh cherries…
I can relate. I probably had a know-it-all face the day I bit into a crunchy apple, because up until that point I had no idea apples were crunchy like that. haha. Fresh cherries, what a delight. xoxo
This is simply, beautifully wonderful ……….
Oh, Helen. It pleases me that you liked it. Thanks so much. xoxo
I’ve heard of cloves stuck into oranges not apples… and not cooked! What a lovely memory.
I appreciate the visit, Dale. I guess Mom’s magazine suggested cloves on fruit. And as I told Bjorn, Mom probably thought oranges were to everyday common. She wanted to be exotic, try it on an apple. haha. Different.
Additionally, today I read a comment from a nice lady that said that she never photographs Robins. “They are too common,” she said.
Hmm. Robins, too common? Not to me, they aren’t… (but hummingbirds are– common)
Funny how our environments do that to us.
I want to bet that the transportation of apples to the Caribbean has improved tons since the 1960’s. That memory is from that long ago. And now I live in Japan.
Life is good. Memories last!
Thanks for the visit. I wish you miracles.
Yes, it is funny how one this in common in one place (apples, here) but rare elsewhere. And I love to take pictures of “common” things like robins and all sorts of things.
Lovely thing to say!
This is incredibly evocative! I especially like; “When the red fruit made decorating pleasing and fun/ It also made bulk in my holidays stocking
stuffed together with an orange.”💝💝
Thanks so much for letting me know. I appreciate you. xo
Your blog is interesting … Congratulations