Watermelon

By luigi_pagano

Thu, 29 Aug 2019
  • 3242 reads
14 comments
 
I have been called Citrullus vulgaris
yet I prefer the name Watermelon.
Maybe I was uncouth in my youth,
but, though rough, I wasn't a felon.
 
I am not appreciated by every one,
many prefer that Cantaloupe fellow
possibly because my flesh is red
while that of his is a golden yellow.
 
I do not believe that we are related.
I am round and fat, my skin is green
which suggests that I am not mature
but that I'm ripe can be easily seen.
 
My sweet pulp titillates a soft tongue
that appreciates a flavoursome taste
and being mostly water not fattening
so it won't add pounds to one's waist.
 
I am very healthy and I am beneficial:
not only anti-oxidant but also diuretic
whoever wants to dispute this truism
is uninformed and somewhat pathetic.
 
Cherries are praised and peaches too
while poor relations like me are not
and yet we are eagerly sought after
in summer, when the weather is hot.

 

© Luigi Pagano 2019
Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri
Surreal
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Lovely in summer! Watermelon with it's skin and all fights and water spouting wet hosepipe and all. What a wonderful fruit hey? Grows like pumpkins!

Cheers Luigi! Goodnight!

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Good morning Tom,

watermelon is indeed a wonderful fruit and one of my favourites, It is very refreshing and thirst quenching especially during the hot temperatures that we have had long ago.
Thanks for letting me know your thoughts.

Cheers, Luigi

 

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Wonderful Yes! Thirst quenching. Watermelons must be scarce in Europe but still, in some places I'd think they're more common. Well Ok Europe is big and I'd think has very varied climates. In Afrikaans we call them "waatlemoene" it means about the same.

Good! Thanks! Tom

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

They are very popular in Italy where they are known by .several names. Anguria, Cocomero or Melone D'Aqua. It's not uncommon to see street vendors selling wedges of the fruit.
The annual Italian watermelon crop is about 100 million watermelons. They first appear in Italian markets in May and the season lasts until the beginning of September.

 

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Does that work out in the region of fifty to a hundred watermelons average per person per year? Ok let's say you export half of it? People come out with the wierdest statistics.

Right! We must stop now, Almost weekend!

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

As you say, no more stats. Have a nice week-end.

 

Submitted by randy-johnson on

Great poem. Well written. I've always loved watermelons. I once saw a funny commercial about watermelons. It was about two brothers eating a watermelon. The younger brother was swallowing the seeds. The older brother told him not to swallow the seeds or a watermelon would start growing in his belly. The younger brother didn't believe him, but then they saw a pregnant woman walking down the street and she was also eating watermelon. When the younger brother saw her, he started spitting out the seeds.

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

HI r-j. 
Thanks for your feedback and for the amusing anecdote. The abundance of seeds is a bit of an inconvenience as one has to be patient trying to get them out before tucking in the delicious pulp.
Some people don't mind eating the seeds.

Best wishes, Luigi

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Watermelon is lovely isn't it, and it seems to be available without seeds nowadays. There's an odd yellow version too, which I don't  like as much - have you tried it?

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

I have read reports that seedless watermelons are not as tasty as the ones containing the seeds.
I haven't tried the yellow ones. I am a traditionalist and stick to the old fashioned variety.
I am as fond of this Citrullus Vulgaris as I am of cherries. wink

Thanks Claudine, Luigi x
 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Luigi,

funnily enough I had my first watermelon ever last week and wasn't sure whether you could eat the pips or not. My son assured me it was fine, so I just left them in...I'm so trusting! indecisionSmile. smiley

I like the idea of this fruit having anti-oxidants and being beneficial to health.

A fun poem to read.

Jenny. xx

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

I hope you enjoyed it, Jenny. The nearer you get to the middle of the fruit the softer and juicier the flesh gets.
You can safely eat the pips and it is said they are full of nutrient. That the watermelon is an anti-oxidant is a scientific fact and not my invention. 
Glad you found the poem amusing, as it was meant to be.

Luigi xx

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I did not know the seedless ones were less tasty. There is a huge difference between the ones in supermarkets and the big ones in streeet markets - the best one i had was from a market in London, huge and cut by the slice  and was gorgeous, worthy of this poem :0)

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Don't take my word Di, I am only reiterating what I read. As I haven't tried the seedless variety I'll have to put it to the test. When it comes to delicacies I am a keen volunteer.
You'll see from my answer to Tom that the watermelon is popular in Italy, where street vendors will sell wedges of it just like you experienced in London.
Thanks for stopping by.

Luigi x