Fruits Poem By Goh: Poh Seng Link

Goh Poh Seng (1936–2010) wrote with the precision of a doctor and the soul of a poet. In “Fruits,” tropical fruits become metaphors for identity, loss, and the sensual geography of Southeast Asia.

This is where Goh the physician emerges. He knows that every pleasure carries a metabolic cost. The fruit, once a symbol of life, becomes a symbol of decay. A ripe fruit is merely a seed’s way of bribing an animal to carry it toward death. Eat, and you participate in a cycle of rot. Refrain, and you deny your own nature. fruits poem by goh poh seng

: Goh notes a "quality" in ripeness that renders both "children and grown-ups content". The fruit’s "sweetness" and "generosity" act as a universal bridge between generations. Altruism in Nature Goh Poh Seng (1936–2010) wrote with the precision

In "Fruits," Goh Poh Seng invites the reader into a world defined by vivid, tactile imagery. The poem begins by celebrating the physical "resplendence" of ripened fruit, describing shapes "swollen by the fertile soil" and "rounded by the nourishing daylight". These descriptions do more than just paint a picture; they emphasize the patient, "slow" and "loving" process of growth that occurs through successive seasons. Theme of Generosity He knows that every pleasure carries a metabolic cost

📖 Read it. Sit with it. Then bite into a fruit like it holds a story.

The final image is often one of stillness: a half-peeled orange, a discarded mango stone, the light changing in a kitchen. The poem does not resolve. It lingers. Like the aftertaste of a good fruit, it stays with you—sweet, yes, but also strangely astringent. Unforgettable.

"Fruits" is a poem written by Singaporean poet Goh Poh Seng, which explores the theme of identity, culture, and the search for meaning through the metaphor of fruits.