Poem: Pomegranates

Books & Poetry

Mediterranean fruits of antiquity at home in South Australia are the subject of this week’s Poet’s Corner from medico and “gastronaut” Susan O’Brien.

Wednesday April 13, 2016 Comments

Comments Print article

Pomegranates

punica granatum

Shining spring leaves
guard the dancers:
slender sculpted sepals
studded with gold
flaring red petticoats
of crushed silk…

Skirts fade and fall
slim bodies swell
to polished scarlet summer orbs
with calyx coronets

inside,
unseen,
facets align
colour deepens
jewels of flavour
perfectly packed
in a leather pouch
of deep magenta

Regal fruit of Carthage
garnet apples
hanging on
against the winter.

The Good Oil

Olea europaea

Mediterranean ancient

The grove
the tree
the crop
the pick
the crush
the slurry…
First press beryl
liquid gold to follow
Unctuous
lubricious
delicious

Olio verde
First of the crush
Extra virgin
Cold pressed, cool stored
green in green glass
life-extending polyphenols
mind-extending flavonoids

Olio, olio
Culinary magic:
salad
sauté,
simply slurp it
fruity on the nose
pepper on the palate

Olio, olio
lingual velvet.

Quinces

cydonia oblonga

Fruit of Smyrna
millennial survivor,
quince is no
tender cultivar

Deep in a dry gully
the yellow deepens
the skin toughens
the brown fluff thickens
the stone cells round the core
form rocks
the flavour is deep promise…

Quinces seek no flattery
and patience is rewarded:
Gently rub off all the fluff
pack into a heavy pot
add some sugar, enough water
simmer slow
for nearly ever
Your reward will always be
deepest ruby,
fulsome flavour.

Susan O’Brien lives half of her time off the grid overlooking the gorge of the Finniss River on the Fleurieu Peninsula, the other half in Adelaide’s CBD. Since recent semi-retirement from medical practice as a GP with a specific interest in mental health, she has started to capture her poems on the page, writing about what the natural world may present. A particular associated delight is South Australia’s produce – its wines, olives and other Mediterranean fruits. Her poems have appeared in Friendly Street anthologies, and she has performed at places such as the Coriole vineyard, and on 101.5 FM Radio Adelaide’s Gastronaut program.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.

Make a comment View comment guidelines

Jump to next article

Support local arts journalism

Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia.

Donate Here

Comments

Show comments

Will my comment be published? Read the guidelines.

. You are free to republish the text and graphics contained in this article online and in print, on the condition that you follow our republishing guidelines.

You must attribute the author and note prominently that the article was originally published by InReview. You must also inlude a link to InReview. Please note that images are not generally included in this creative commons licence as in most cases we are not the copyright owner. However, if the image has an InReview photographer credit or is marked as “supplied”, you are free to republish it with the appropriate credits.

We recommend you set the canonical link of this content to https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2016/04/13/poem-pomegranates/ to insure that your SEO is not penalised.

<h1>Poem: Pomegranates</h1>

<p><p>Mediterranean fruits of antiquity at home in South Australia are the subject of this week’s Poet’s Corner from medico and “gastronaut” Susan O’Brien.</p>
</p>
																		<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							<h2><a href="#pomegranates" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="pomegranates"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>Pomegranates</strong></h2>
<h4><a href="#punica-granatum" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="punica-granatum"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><em>punica granatum</em></h4>
<p>Shining spring leaves<br />
guard the dancers:<br />
slender sculpted sepals<br />
studded with gold<br />
flaring red petticoats<br />
of crushed silk…</p>
<p>Skirts fade and fall<br />
slim bodies swell<br />
to polished scarlet summer orbs<br />
with calyx coronets</p>
<p>inside,<br />
unseen,<br />
facets align<br />
colour deepens<br />
jewels of flavour<br />
perfectly packed<br />
in a leather pouch<br />
of deep magenta</p>
<p>Regal fruit of Carthage<br />
garnet apples<br />
hanging on<br />
against the winter.</p>
<h2><a href="#the-good-oil" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="the-good-oil"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>The Good Oil</strong></h2>
<h4><a href="#olea-europaea" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="olea-europaea"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><em>Olea europaea</em></h4>
<p>Mediterranean ancient</p>
<p>The grove<br />
the tree<br />
the crop<br />
the pick<br />
the crush<br />
the slurry…<br />
First press beryl<br />
liquid gold to follow<br />
Unctuous<br />
lubricious<br />
delicious</p>
<p>Olio verde<br />
First of the crush<br />
Extra virgin<br />
Cold pressed, cool stored<br />
green in green glass<br />
life-extending polyphenols<br />
mind-extending flavonoids</p>
<p>Olio, olio<br />
Culinary magic:<br />
salad<br />
sauté,<br />
simply slurp it<br />
fruity on the nose<br />
pepper on the palate</p>
<p>Olio, olio<br />
lingual velvet.</p>
<h2><a href="#quinces" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="quinces"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>Quinces</strong></h2>
<p><em>cydonia oblonga</em></p>
<p>Fruit of Smyrna<br />
millennial survivor,<br />
quince is no<br />
tender cultivar</p>
<p>Deep in a dry gully<br />
the yellow deepens<br />
the skin toughens<br />
the brown fluff thickens<br />
the stone cells round the core<br />
form rocks<br />
the flavour is deep promise…</p>
<p>Quinces seek no flattery<br />
and patience is rewarded:<br />
Gently rub off all the fluff<br />
pack into a heavy pot<br />
add some sugar, enough water<br />
simmer slow<br />
for nearly ever<br />
Your reward will always be<br />
deepest ruby,<br />
fulsome flavour.</p>
<p><em>Susan O’Brien lives half of her time off the grid overlooking the gorge of the Finniss River on the Fleurieu Peninsula, the other half in Adelaide’s CBD. Since recent semi-retirement from medical practice as a GP with a specific interest in mental health, she has started to capture her poems on the page, writing about what the natural world may present. A particular associated delight is South Australia’s produce – its wines, olives and other Mediterranean fruits. Her poems have appeared in Friendly Street anthologies, and she has performed at places such as the Coriole vineyard, and on 101.5 FM Radio Adelaide’s <a href="https://radio.adelaide.edu.au/gastronaut-poets-susan-obrien/">Gastronaut program</a>.</em></p>
<h5><a href="#readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-a-poetry-book-will-be-awarded-to-each-contributor" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-a-poetry-book-will-be-awarded-to-each-contributor"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.</h5>
<h5></h5>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
							<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://inreview.com.au" target=_blank  rel="canonical">InReview</a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2016/04/13/poem-pomegranates/" target=_blank  rel="canonical">original article</a>.</p>
							<link href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2016/04/13/poem-pomegranates/" rel="canonical">

<p><a href="https://inreview.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InReview</a> is an open access, non-profit arts and culture journalism project. Readers can <a href="https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2E9q0000008PVN/inreview-sa-20222023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support our work with a donation</a>. Subscribe to InReview’s free weekly newsletter <a href="https://inreview.com.au/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
							<img src="https://inreview.com.au/pixel2.png?cc_article=poem-pomegranates" width="1" height="1">

Copied to Clipboard