I can speak Japanese in this poem, and
My mind will touch yours so
We both understand the custom of gift fruit.
Baskets perfumed with juicy red and gold,
Unspotted and fraught with meaning
Polished and inviting to your lips and teeth.

Don’t be afraid to mar the arrangement
Devour. These offerings leave no residue.
For you I polish sweetness without bitter rinds.
No plastic wrappers but smooth, organic skin.

Indulge in cinnamon scents of the earth,
The delicate nose of a Bosc pear.
Why resist the rich tang of mango?
The lure of tumescent banana?
Choose what you want, but take.

I long to fill your mouth with a new flavour
And offer perfect beauty that will linger,
As if we were still 17.

 

Maaja Wentz is a Guest Poet for Panorama.