Banana
You said you had plans
for that. Plans,
what does that mean,
“plans?” In this heat
things go bad fast. Just
this morning I left
my fruit on the counter
not more than five minutes
and when I returned,
I’m telling you, its sweetness
was gone. You can’t get that back.
I mean once I had a
guinea pig, the dearest thing
you ever saw until
it got stepped on, only once,
and never trusted me again.
You can put it
in the refrigerator (not the pig,
the banana) –
but then it’s not the same,
not at all. Or bread,
you can freeze bread
but I swear it’s not the same
after, ever.
You said you had plans;
what does that mean, “plans?”
_____________
Philip Kirsch
Review by William Welch
The seemingly impromptu structure of this poem works well as a further instance of its rhetorical gesture. We are, from a young age in our society, asked what our “plan” is. What do we plan to study in school? What career are we planning on? How many kids do we plan to have? What are our retirement plans? But our lives are tenuous, and very often we find the “sweetness [is] gone,” trust is easily broken. The poem doesn’t explore how we cope with these situations, but it does critique the assumptions which undergird contemporary society. One should eat the bread when it’s fresh.
Review by Jan Wiezorek
Phil Kirsch’s “Banana” has the humorous voice of a standup comedian, and this poem is a real treat to read, especially out loud. I am convinced he has firsthand knowledge of all kinds of food, frozen or not, trusted or not. His moves through the poem are seamless, and the energy of his conviction is breathtaking. This poem is a real keeper.
Review by Jared Pearce
First of all, anything titled, “Banana,” is probably going to be awesome. Second, the transience of fruit (?!) becomes a wonderful reminder of all transience. Third, I like drawing from a cliched phrase (the other’s plans) and then spinning it into something much more fun.