Mangoes

We had such a wonderful slurpy Australian Literature Tutorial on the poem Mangoes this week. Quite a fabulous way to finish our engagement with Australian poetry for the semester…. oh did we find so many wonderful suggestive connotations in this amazing piece of literary magic…. Oh the blessed subversion of sucking mangoes… of letting the juices run down one’s arms and wrists….. Oh the holy freedom of this thick, creamy juice that creates the sensation of amazing richness in mind, body and spirit….. and you may not believe this but that evening I went to visit my Grandchildren and all four of us: Leeara, Josh, Alexander and myself scoffed and scoffed three large juicy, juicy mangoes….. here is the evidence

And here is grandchild number one Leeara… with her Grandma (Rosie) AFTER her hands AND face have been carefully washed

And here is the wonderful subversive poem by Richard Tipping… which each tutorial read out aloud:

Mangoes by Richard Tipping
mangoes are not cigarettes
mangoes are fleshy skinful passionate fruits
mangoes are hungry to be sucked
mangoes are glad to be stuck in the teeth
mangoes like slush & kissing

mangoes are not cigarettes
mangoes are idiosyncratic seasonal seducers
mangoes are worse than adams apple
mangoes are what parents & parliaments warn against
mangoes like making rude noises

mangoes are not cigarettes
mangoes are greedy delicious tongueteasers
mangoes are violently soft
mangoes are fibrous intestinal lovebites
mangoes like beginning once again

mangoes are not cigarettes
mangoes are tangible sensual intelligence
mangoes are debauched antisocialites
mangoes are a positive good in the world
mangoes like poetry