The Nutritive and Therapeutic Uses of the Banana:
(a treatise in horticulture funded by the United Fruit Company)
And I was serving tropical drinks
in that posh cafe
quenching arrogant souls
Perfumed against the heat
all of us dying by degrees
And in you walked
your school years past
Full of private boarding snobberies
Where hired help tended
only the best cloistered gardens
Camouflaging whispers
uttered by selfish tongues
cultured with proper generations of money
And I was serving tropical drinks
quenching arrogant souls
When you told me in that fashionable cafe
During the passing of a happy-hour
Your boyhood recollections
of Central America's bountiful harvests
all those "Great White Ships"
of your dear father's fleet
And the power
of true Yanqui dollar diplomacy
Gathering fruit from a continent's loins
Your elegant arm outstretched
beckoning me to refill your glass
You said watching dark-skinned natives
carrying circumcised limbs
of bananatrees up those rotting planks
deposited in the bleeding maw
of America's dark hold -- was difficult
And all the while
I was serving tropical drinks
perfumed against the truth
wondering about natives losing their colour
bleached away by a benevolent company
planting wreaths of pure pain
As you solemnly explained how one poor fellow
stung by a tiny green snake
dropped his precious cargo
Sliding in death -- down that walkway
You plopped another oyster
of grey remorse into your mouth
Devouring it like all the others
Ripped fresh from their innocent beds of burden
As you told me you would never forget that sight
full of imported rum
and the fresh snapped spines of bitter lime
In that fashionable cafe
all of us dying by degrees
Patronized by your family’s yellowing wealth
Passing a life of supposed happy hours
As you confessed to me it was such a pity
such a dreadful pity
about those poor fellows dying by degrees
and to charge this brief afternoon’s penance
to your chilling account of privilege.
Author notes
ise got the young'uns and the neighbors chilluns together and wed threw our toes/fingers/digits together - and wes ciphered near on 272 words not including the title - best zaj
A contest entry
- Do You Want It? Do You Need It? Let Me Hear It.... Ladies and Gentlemen...!!! by JinSays.
725 points, ended March 7, 2008, 19 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
a true story at a bar in NEWPORT, R.I.
Comments
1 - 16 of 16
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Freeverse at its best
Well told, many of us think not of where the food we eat comes from. We are spoiled by our grocery stores, and never give thought to those human and animals that suffer so that we can eat without thought. Our consciences are not bothered in the least
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yeah next time think of that when you see the CHIQUITA STICKER much thanks for the read/comments regards zaj
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Thank you for the word count, glad you're on your toes!!
Peace, and welcome to the finalist list!!
That's just the best thing I could have told you today, huh??
Jin -
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yeah damn i am 'en pointe' on all 11 of 'em - it is a congenital/genetic thing along with the hand digits - we uns can counte jes fine though the bestest thing even better than than my present 'old lady' is preggers again - lordy whats i gonna do another mouth ise gots to feed best your most muddied humble servant zaj
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Wow....This is impressive...Brilliant storytelling with imagery, metaphor but most of all, emotion....I really like this one...Excellent
Lynda
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much thanks for the read/too kind comments this is one of my favs thank you again for including me among your favs regards zaj
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Excellent, I loved the way you told this, it was very well done. I think the repetition worked especially well...sorry I don't really know what to say, this is awesome. I takes a lot for me to be impressed with free verse...you have a great style. Keep up the good work, take care x
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much thanks for the read/kind comments glad u enjoyed this it is one of my favs regards zaj
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I thought this was brilliant, you stand as a captive audience to someones chilling arrogance
'I was serving tropical drinks'
quenching arrogant souls' and the complete lack of sensitivity of a class without mirrors.
'you said watching dark skinned natives carrying circumcised limbs of banana trees....was difficult'
I loved the sense of irony
The ending ties it all together so well as he pays his confessor
'and to charge this brief afternoon's penance
to your chilling account of privilege.
excellent in a dreadful way
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don't know about brilliant - AND it is one of my 'favs' much thanks for the read/laudatory comments regards zaj
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am trying to leave a comment but keep getting kicked off the internet! sorry will try another night as i really rated this highly
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Great I can imagine you there......I liked the pace and the style. I was hoping that you would do something else with the banana to that fool!
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not a 'fool' just a product of the UNITED FRUIT COMPANY and the 'slavery' that still exists sometimes in all gigantic capitalistic companies - much thanks for the read comments regards zaj
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thank you for the read/ and the 'clappies' regards zaj
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