Mango Pits

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

For some time now, I have been working through Rupi Kaur’s book “Healing Through Words” which is essentially a collection of guided writing prompts and some instruction on and insight into her writing process. She has some very short yet powerful poems which she calls “peach pits” because you start with a long written piece and then pare off the meat until you get down to the nugget, or pit, at its center. I made an attempt, but I am calling it a mango pit poem because it is much longer than any of her peach pit poems. 

The prompt she gave for this poem was to start by writing a lengthy piece about a time you felt ignored. I did this, and then followed her instructions for paring it down, but couldn’t seem to pare it down to fewer words. Some of her peach pit poems contain as few as fourteen words! 

This poem doesn’t have a title. I am sharing it as part of the process I am undertaking to play with language more often, as it is one of the things I do that makes me feel like myself. Corny, I know, but I encourage you to do something you love, or are just curious about, but might not be very good at (yet). It is also an attempt to enjoy process over product, I have been immobilized by a lack of confidence and perfectionistic tendencies that have paralyzed any creativity I may have felt over the years. I hope that you  enjoy whatever your thing is as much as I enjoyed the process of writing this.

New love sparks curiosity – 

Do I dare? Can I learn?

Failure –

A heart preoccupied by past and present lovers is asleep. 

Past pollutes present – 

Vodka with a twist of regret.

I am a comfort object in need of solace – 

This present is my past.