My wife is the mango goddess
not by birthright or decree
but by a local democracy
When she moves through the fruit section
squeezing, watching, and listening,
the locals ask her
about the qualities of mangos
"Why do they ask me these things?"
she asks in a Jewish tone
"Because you are the mango goddess, " I reply
"But I don't look remotely..., I'm Irish,
I should know about potatoes,
Why don't they ask me about potatoes?"
"Because you are the mango goddess, " I reply
She knows the difference between ripe and rotten
She passes judgement on raw and rare
Her village is as global as her vision
She commands the economy
and pays her subjects well
When she is out of the grocer's
and in my arms late at night
she asks me why I chose this night
for toast and tea
"Because you are the mango goddess," I reply
9/97
copyright Trevor Haug 1997
from "Poems from the Hedge"
