Fruits — Poem By Goh Poh Seng

Goh Poh Seng’s "Fruits" is more than a simple catalogue of nature; it is a profound meditation on the relationship between person and place. Through the lens of the tropical harvest, Goh captures the "taste" of a nation, preserving a sensory heritage in the face of an ever-changing modern world.

Papayas and pears, a harmonious pair Kiwi and peaches, beyond compare The scent of durians, strong and free A tropical taste, for you and me fruits poem by goh poh seng

Before we bite into the poem, we must understand the hand that offers the fruit. Goh Poh Seng was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1936 but spent his most formative literary years in Singapore. He was a doctor by training (University College Dublin), but a poet by vocation. This duality—the scientist’s precision married to the artist’s passion—is everywhere in the "Fruits Poem." Goh Poh Seng’s "Fruits" is more than a

: The poet uses vivid descriptions like "ripened, resplendent fruits" and "perfect forms" to celebrate nature's bounty. Goh Poh Seng was born in Kuala Lumpur

This is not hedonism. It is grace. To eat the fruit knowing it will pass through you, knowing the sweetness will fade to a memory on the tongue—that is the human condition. Goh suggests that maturity is not the loss of appetite, but the ability to savor without illusion.

Goh Poh Seng, a pioneer of Singaporean literature, writes with a conversational yet lyrical