John Agard English Girl Eats Her First Mango
(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 woulda 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 know
just bite into it?
and I was tempted
to tell she
why not be a devil
and eat of the skin
of the original sin
but she woulda tell me
trust you to be
mysterious
so I would just say
it’s up to you
if you want to peel it
and I watch she feels it
as something precious
then she smile and say
looks delicious
and I tell she
don’t waste sweet words
when she sweetness
in your hand
just bite it man
peel it with the teeth
that God gave you
or better yet
do like me mother
used to do
and squeeze
till the flesh
turns 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
snd I remind she that ain’t
apple core
so don’t forget
the seed
suck that too
the sweetest part
the juice does run
down to your 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 about
you don’t know
when you eat mango
you hanky
is you tongue
man just lick
your finger
you call that
culture
like your finger
you call that
culture
unless you prefer
to call it
colonization
in reverse
