Mangoes, coconuts and sunshine
Delicious fruits growing in abundance in the Caribbean. Mmmm! Lovely snacks.
I miss eating the mangoes most of all
The juicy succulent sweet meaty goodness of each bite
The liquid gold of flavors dripping down my fingers
The joy of licking lips and cheeks as they drip with yummy goo
Oh the fruits of my childhood
I miss them so
Jamaica boasts a vast variegated array of fruits
Each splendid in its own way
Great snack bites of heavenly bliss
Found in every delicious bite
Lots of sunshine and rain help, of course
To keep the sumptuous-ness available all year
Mangoes of every variety grow in the backyard
So delicious it is envied by all
If one does not awaken early
To fight with birds, lizards and bees
Sometimes rats!!! Ugh
Then you will most certainly miss your chance
If you want to pick the cream of the crop
Coconut trees dot the landscape all year round
Star-apples, pears, apples, pomegranate and plums
Watermelons grow to unbelievable sizes
Last time I was home, I could only purchase and carry
Only a half...It got really expensive too
Oranges, tangerines, jackfruit, ugli
Pineapple, tamarind, kiwi, ripe bananas, and more
Grapefruit, peaches, cherries, soursop and papaya
Melicoccus bijugatus (guinep). Lignum Vitae is our national flower
Though on the list, I am Pretty sure it's not edible
There are so many, the list is never-ending
The great asset of living in a sunshine island home
Is that we are free to plant any type of fruit
within and in the yard space in which we live
The city is limited in space and variety
But if you travel or live in the countryside
There is no end to the fruits of your imagination
I loved to visit the country towns of my ancestors
Once they had an abundance of green lush deliciousness
But now the young folks have all moved away
No longer wishing to plant the land
They have no wish to follow in the footsteps of the old ones
No one wants to till the soil
So the fruit trees have dwindled in proliferation
And now I have to purchase most of them in the markets
At atrocious prices
Luckily we still have a few trees in the backyard
Is it sad that I am now a tourist to my own homeland
Things and times have changed so much
I feel like an alien when I go home now!
I feel so sad!!!
Can I call a redo on my childhood
But with all the knowledge which I now have?
........................................................................................
About the Creator
Novel Allen
You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. (Maya Angelou). Genuine accomplishment is not about financial gain, but about dedicating oneself to activities that bring joy and fulfillment.
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Comments (14)
A redo on our childhood, with all the knowledge we now have...that would be amazing! This poem is beautifully evocative of sunshine and summer, and taught me about the existence of several fruits I'd never heard of. I come from an island where trees/bushes hardly grow (it's too windy and cold, they can't get going) and we have to stick to fruits that grow close to the ground (rhubarb and berries, mostly)!
I feel the same way back in Watertown, SD where I grew up or even in Sioux Falls where my father & a couple of brothers live. Except for the fruit part. If I'm going to enjoy those fresh-picked I have to go either summer or early fall.
Lovely work No! You made me want to go to Jamaica to try all of the lovely fruits that I have not had before! YUM I wish I had a time machine so that we could revisit our childhoods from time to time! Wouldn't that be divine?! 😍
My favorite is pineapple. It is distinctively sweet and offers a myriad of health. Take me back to being a child again! lovely poem Allen.
I've never had star apples or tangelo before. I wonder how they taste like. Your poem was both so delicious and nostalgic!
"Star-apples, pears, apples, pomegranate and plums/Watermelons grow to unbelievable sizes/Last time I was home" Is this Paradise ... and Paradise Lost??? Bittersweet, sweet memories.......... no wonder returning home now is pain.
Novel, this poem is fun, thought-provoking (can we go back and reinvent ourselves with the knowledge we gain?) and universal in that we all go through times of nostalgia for our childhood. We have several mango trees in the yard and every one I pick this summer is going to remind me of your poem! Mango cake and Shrimp in Diablo sauce (with mangoes) Yummy!
not a fan of jackfruit and soursop only had the juice. I would love to try more exotic fruit
Such vivid descriptions ! Those last two lines really got me!
There's no time like mango time. But guineps will always be near the top of my list of favorites.
Beautiful nostalgia and melancholy, wrapped up in a fruit-filled reflection! Makes me miss fresh mangoes...thank you for sharing!
That's a strange feeling, being a tourist in your own land, but maybe also gives you an extra appreciative eye.
Some wonderful fruit in there, I had a mango this morning but had three weeks and it is still not properly ripe.
Classic combo! Love your poem! 💓