Poem No. 5
In the Street of the Fruit Stalls
Wicks balance flame, a dark dew falls
Om the street of the fruit stalls
Melon, guava, mandarin,
Pyramid piled like cannon balls
Glow red-hot, gold-hot from within.
Dark children with a coin to spend
Enter the lantern’s orbit; find
Melon, guava, mandarin
The moon compacted to a rind,
The sun in a pitted skin.
They take it, break it open, let
A gold or silver fountain wet
Mouth, fingers, cheek, nose, chin:
Radiant as lantern, they forget
The dark street I am standing in.
(Jan Stallworthy)
