We spend so much of our lives rushing toward the finish line, obsessed with the result, the harvest, the "arrival." But in his meditative poem Fruits , Goh Poh Seng offers a necessary correction to our modern anxiety. He reminds us that the most substantial things in life are not manufactured; they are grown.
However, notice the verbs. The rambutan "with" their hair; the durian is "thorn-defended, kind." Goh personifies each fruit, giving them character and agency. The durian, notoriously feared by Westerners for its smell, is called "kind" because its thorny exterior protects a custardy heart. This is a poet who understands that ugliness or danger often guards the most tender truths. fruits poem by goh poh seng
, suggesting that true "prime" quality requires a slow, loving maturation process. Symbolism and Human Connection We spend so much of our lives rushing
: He juxtaposes the "nourishing daylight" that creates the fruit with the "darkness" or "fear" that humans sometimes face. The rambutan "with" their hair; the durian is