The cheese of vegetables!

This poem made me laugh at myself. I had never seen it until after the last of my many giddy visits to the apple ranch this fall, but its music plays such a familiar tune, that it presents the images and message as a makebelieve memory of a jolly uncle on whose knee I once sat, as we peeled apples together and sang of Johnny Appleseed, perhaps, and of a world united by the glory of apples.

ODE TO THE APPLE

Here’s to you, Apple,
I want to
celebrate you
by filling my mouth
with your name,
by eating you.

You are always
more refreshing than anything
or anybody,
always
newly fallen
from Paradise:
simple
and pure
rouged cheek
of dawn!

How difficult
the fruits of the Earth
are when compared to you:
grapes in their cells,
gloomy
mangos,
bony plums, figs
in their underwater world.
You are pure pomade,
fragrant bread,
the cheese
of vegetables!
When we bite into
your round innocence,
for an instant, we also return
to the fresh moment of a living thing’s creation,
and in essence, we contain a chunk of apple.

I crave
your absolute
abundance, your family
multiplied.
I want a city,
a republic,
the Mississippi river rolling
with apples,
and along its banks,
I want to see
the population
of the entire world,
united, reunited,
enjoying the simplest act on Earth:
eating an apple.

-Pablo Neruda

9 thoughts on “The cheese of vegetables!”

I was surprised to see Neruda’s name. What a fun poem!

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What a delightful poem!

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Neruda has written many wonderful poems and this one should be at the top of the list! I’ve been using loads of apples lately — so delicious and fun to cook with. Thanks for this one!

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I think this may have been the ideal way to start a Friday morning. Thank you for sharing!

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That’s a nice, easy to read and uncomplicated poem. One even I can appreciate.

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I do enjoy Neruda’s poems – often odes to the simple everyday things of life. He does love apples, it seems! I laughed at the gloomy mangoes and bony plums!

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What a fun poem! I just finished eating an apple when I read this 😉 I don’t believe I’ve read any of Neruda’s poetry before. Glad I happened upon your blog today!

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