Ode to the Mangosteen

My little friend,

you glorious, glorious creation

A small round of purple

A hard hard husk

One split, though, and I'm

through

Southern hemisphere separates

from north

and I see you

Part mango

you have texture

tongue-tasting texture

and richness too

Part steen

what is a steen, they always ask

don't they know

it's the rest of you

so segmented

yet so lopsided

perfectly steen-ish

I have carried you

for days

days on end

and I do not mind

not one bit

As it is true that I would eat you when the time was right

and so it was, and so you were,

and it was delicious

You provided me with refreshment,

when that is what I needed

But more too, rich taste,

the satisfaction of separating you in two

And then there was only one more

and I knew I must treasure it, treasure you

That is why, it was segment by segment,

not mangosteen by mangosteen,

to multiply the bites, to multiply the experience

Because you are my glorious little friend,

and I ate you