Cream coloured- its skin and seeds are inedible,
cut in half and scoop out the flesh,
experience the taste on your lips as it slides down
the throat— be consoled,
having a custard apple is like learning how to navigate through life,
its various twists and turns,
I think back on to his voice, the way it sounds across satin sheets
in dark hours of the night.
Succulent and sweet, its flavour brings to mind
the laughter of children on the merry-go-round; drops of rain
after a long drought,
adrenaline rush that follows after the first kiss,
one taste is simply never enough,
it’s no wonder this heart shaped fruit doesn’t ask for much.
Leave them too long
and they can become fermented, approach early and you will find
they are hard as the darkness of your thoughts,
remember to wait until they are ripe.
I still find pieces of him in every syllable, cropping in late winter
and spring
onto my blushing page—too far, too full,
too fast, the way my being falls for his,
could it be that we are naturally heavy bearers, are means
of propagation like the tree itself?
And now the clouds scatter sensuously, making my pen ache to map
his terrain,
his face in slow and deliberate detail; darkly passionate,
my custard apple memory.
Photo credits: Agostinho José da Mota – Frutas do Conde – fair use.
Kim hosts at dVerse and introduces the style of Imtiaz Dharker.
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Posted for Poetics: ‘How to cut a Pomegranate’ @dVerse Poets Pub
Is a custard apple similar to a lychee, Sanaa,? They look alike – and I love lychees. I understand what you mean in the lines:
‘experience the taste on your lips as it slides down
the throat— be consoled’
and the way the silky flesh of the fruit leads to
‘his voice, the way it sounds across satin sheets
in dark hours of the night’.
I love these deliciously romantic lines:
‘I still find pieces of him in every syllable, cropping in late winter
and spring
onto my blushing page…’
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Yes, the flesh is pearly white and tastes a bit like lychee, but sweeter and has a toothsome crunchiness 🙂
(Thank you for the glorious prompt) 🌹
I remember the first custard apple I ever had… it was on Madeira, and it must have been perfectly ripe, I have never tasted a Cherimoya better since… I love how you describe him as a lover.
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
I remember picking them from the tree and savoring their sweetness right there, smiles. Its a challenge to eat and savor them so I can empathize with:
having a custard apple is like learning how to navigate through life,
its various twists and turns,
Thank you so much, Grace 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
What a fascinating fruit and a wonderful response to the prompt! I also love how you compare it to a mysterious lover. Such enchanting imagery:
‘approach early and you will find
they are hard as the darkness of your thoughts’
– a warning to be heeded, for sure!
Thank you so much, Ingrid 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
you have just added custard apple to my to try list. and given me insperation for my own fruity poem. your clouds scatter line made me think of my grandmother buying me my first granny smith apple at her local market because it had the same name as hers.
Thank you so much, Rog 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
My goodness, this is incredible.
Especially:
“And now the clouds scatter sensuously, making my pen ache to map
his terrain”
Thank you so much, Shawna 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
“my custard apple memory” ….. oh Sanaa….this is delectable and sensuous at the same time! You are truly the queen of romantic writes. This is wonderful!
Thank you so much, Lillian 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
You find romance everywhere, and it is never rose-colored or pollyanna, it is triple-sensual and pulse pounding and personal. I have never heard of a custard apple, never even seen one for sale. Sounds a bit like an Asian pear.
Thank you so much, Glenn 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Gorgeous multi-sensory description! And a fruit I’ve never heard of and now must try :-). I love the lines:
I think back on to his voice, the way it sounds across satin sheets
in dark hours of the night /
having a custard apple is like learning how to navigate through life,
its various twists and turns /
approach early and you will find
they are hard as the darkness of your thoughts /
Stunning <3
Thank you so much, Sunra 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Nice. You managed to make a custard apple sensuous.
Thank you so much, Ron 🙂 so good to see you 💄❤️
“I still find pieces of him in every syllable”
Goodness, what a perfect line. So good, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, De 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
“hard as the darkness of your thoughts”
oof right in the gut
Thank you so much, Alexandra 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Oh wow.. this is wonderful, sensual – a delight for all the senses, Sanaa!
Thank you so much, Dale 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
A sensory delight, Sanaa. Makes me want to try out this fruit when its ripeness is just right.
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
When first I saw Sanaa responded to this prompt I thought oh my! What delight of the senses could she bring! And you have mastered this. Though I have never eaten one of these fruits I feel that I have by reading this. Your sensuality is such a gift!
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Eric 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! 💄❤️
(You are always so generous with praise) 🙂
I still find pieces of him in every syllable, cropping in late winter
and spring
onto my blushing page—too far, too full,
too fast, the way my being falls for his,
I love this. I love the way the poem slips between sensual experiences. It’s very subtly constructed.
Thank you so much, Sarah 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I’ve never tried a custard apple – I must remember to. Now I’ve read this, it’s hit me I should have gone out of the box and wrote about my ‘favourite favourite’; feijoa. If you haven’t tried it, it is oddly similar to medicine – specially, it tastes of the aroma of deep heat, which reminds me of a changing room, after a game of rugby. Not selling it? Oh bother.
Wonderful poem Sanaa – draped in beauty, as always.
Thank you so much, Darius 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Very introspective and I love the imagery of the custard apple. I love how you describe the two as “heavy bearers” the fruit of the relationship, endless.
Thank you so much, K.Hartless 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
This is lovely, Sanaa. I love custard apples .
These lines resonate :-
“having a custard apple is like learning how to navigate through life,
its various twists and turns,”
❤️❤️❤️
OOOOOOOOOOOOH. The feelings here are tender and soft as a mushy custard apple. Very sweet and nostalgic and aching, Sanaa. I totally agree with this – having a custard apple is like learning how to navigate through life,
its various twists and turns.
They can be cumbersome!!
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Rosemawrites 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
i love pie, my favorite of all desserts, but i don’t think i’ve ever had custard apple, its sounds awesome, enjoyed this
Thank you so much, Philip 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Sanaa,
Hard not to be ravished by this “custard apple memory” that’s so evocative of love lost and regained through the reawakening of the senses. Loved it!
~🕊Dora
Thank you so much, Dora 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Triple love how you integrated the custard apple with lover. Delectably sensuous, tasty. I would love to dip my spoon into the custard of this apple.
Thank you so much, Helen 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
The fruit is lovely. It is similar to the soursop by way of content taste. Great wordcraft Sanaa!
Hank
Thank you so much, Hank 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
Hey Sanaa, I love the way your custard apple forms a metaphor for a sensuous relationship. It works very well.
Thank you so much, Sean 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️