Reflections on a Gift of
Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend Called Felicity
During that summer
When unicorns were still possible;
When the purpose of knees
Was to be skinned;
When shiny horse chestnuts
(Hollowed out
Fitted with straws
Crammed with tobacco
Stolen from butts
In family ashtrays)
Were puffed in green lizard silence
While straddling thick branches
Far above and away
From the softening effects
Of civilization;
During that summer--
Which may never have been at all;
But which has become more real
Than the one that was--
Watermelons ruled.
Thick imperial slices
Melting frigidly on sun-parched tongues
Dribbling from chins;
Leaving the best part,
The black bullet seeds,
To be spit out in rapid fire
Against the wall
Against the wind
Against each other;
And when the ammunition was spent,
There was always another bite:
It was a summer of limitless bites,
Of hungers quickly felt
And quickly forgotten
With the next careless gorging.
The bites are fewer now.
Each one is savored lingeringly,
Swallowed reluctantly.
But in a jar put up by Felicity,
The summer which maybe never was
Has been captured and preserved.
And when we unscrew the lid
And slice off a piece
And let it linger on our tongue:
Unicorns become possible again.
John Tobias
Year 9 English
Homework Task 1
- Before you read the rest of the poem, what does the title suggest that the poem will be about? Try to think of 2 ideas and explain each idea. (4 marks)(4 marks – 1 mark for each valid answer and 1 mark for each valid explanation.)
- Choose a word/phrase/line from Stanza 1 which you find interesting and explain the poet’s choice of words and what you think he meant or was trying to achieve? (1 mark for valid quotation and 1 mark for valid explanation) (2 marks)
- From the rest of the poem find TWO examples of a word/phrase or line which provides evidence that the poet enjoyed his childhood. (4 marks – 1 mark for each valid answer and 1 mark for each valid explanation.) (4 marks)Total: 10 marks
