John Agard — English Girl Eats Her First Mango

a kind of love poem If I did tell she hold this gold of sundizzy touguelicking 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 as 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 skin 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 you 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