for Juan Garrido-Salgado
United Fruit mourned the dividend
Chiquita Banana died today, age 93
they did a tropical dance for her
She who closed an era of product
with fruity hat, a voice, a sweet sell
That shaped a banana to die for
(she died for the CIA, not for me)
Tuna, it's the chicken of the sea
there is ham in Spam, pretty swell
How el pulpo is a bitter fruit
and a banana tree is an octopus
How they will market oppression
¡Ay, ay, ay, ay, Chiquita, mi amor!
Never put bananas in the fridge
(and don't eat certain foods)
R.I.P. Monica Lewis, The Voice (1922-2015)
I like this poem - but it took an unexpected turn for me. (never eat certain foods) is an interesting place to leave us!
ReplyDeleteDear Lucy, Thanks for listening. I am only a product of my era, from 1960s onward, and I probably saw and heard the Chiquita Banana ad (and song) a thousand times on TV while I was growing up. And while this poem probably doesn't need any unexpected turns, it alludes to (poorly or not) unconscionable acts by the US that took place in Latin America, in the so-called 'banana republics'. Right now of course is an important time with many South American people remembering the events in Chile at this time in 1973. Reading Juan Salgado's terrific (and terrifying) poems here reminded me of that.
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