A poem in couplets
They say; when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,
I like their optimism; let’s put that in retrograde!
When life gives you vanilla, add lemons,
When everything is beige, go bronze!
Get some sun, top up your vitamin D,
Or, a squeeze of lemon, for your vitamin C!
When you’re feeling flat, and not your best,
Pick up a lemon, and add some zest!
Complimentary, or; just hard to be beaten,
Imagine it paired with the favourite dish that you’ve eaten,
Add it to sweetness, and you’ve got ‘tart’,
Sun drenched beverages, surely can’t be apart,
Refine richness with a squeeze of its juices,
Savour the sophisticated flavour it produces,
The waxy texture, knobbly, ran under fingers,
That smell it imparts, on the tips, where it lingers,
I adore the scent, alive through the skin,
And the Sicilian memories it evokes from within,
Taormina’s hilltop seascape, gossiping pink petals,
In the shadow of Etna, cameos set in precious metals,
To Syracuse, birthplace of Archimedes,
Ancient architecture kissed by Ionian breeze,
Bar Vitelli, Dad, a grappa, coming of age in the heat,
Where they filmed The Godfather, in the medieval street,
All the way to Naples, across the Tyrrhenian Sea,
Where Mum lapped up lemon sorbet, in Italy,
Blessed moments, when I close my eyes,
Breathe deep that zing, and let my dopamine rise,
I’m there, off of Rome’s Piazza del Popolo,
Finishing dinner with a shot of limoncello,
I feel happy – warm, young and rosy,
Good for winter too, when you want to feel cosy –
At Christmas, with a couple of lemons handy;
Syllabub! Curdled cream, juice, zest and a heap of brandy,
A palate cleanser, but lets not call it the end,
Because lemons promise to be a lifetime friend,
Unlike the pear, who’s easy to bruise,
Not our tough lemon; another reason to choose!
Unlike the banana, who cant get along with other fruits,
Lemons are sociable, can be kept where it suits!
Unlike the passion fruit, with a throwaway rind,
Zest, juice or pulp – use all parts you find!
Best of all, it grows wise as it ages,
One with the philosophers and the sages,
Mature – it’s skin may be hard, wrinkled and dried,
Just like us; the juices are still good inside.
Poem by © Darius the Mate
Written for the dVerse: Poetics.
What is life without community? I would love to connect with other nicecissists out there. Reach out, let me know what you think in the comments, and of course, give me a follow for more – nice!
Playing with Words
nicecissist 
Fun! The rhyme works and you take us to the Mediterranean. Nice!
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Thank you Young Professional! ☺️
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This is absolutely ingenious 😀 I especially admire; “Add it to sweetness, and you’ve got ‘tart’, Sun drenched beverages, surely can’t be apart.”💝💝
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Thank you Sanaa! ☺️
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Oh Darius! This is absolutely wonderful. What is better than lemon? It goes with almost everyhing! Love this.
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Thank you Dale ☺️
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🙂
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Epic write, one for the ages! And I feel much better about my wrinkled, dry skin … cheers.
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😅 I feel your intellectual juices are especially good still.
Better the body break down before the mind, than the mind before the body; that thought is terrifying.
Thank you for your comment Helen.
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Love all the details in this poem, Darius. I too, love lemons, the smell is divine. I especially love the lines: the Sicilian memories it evokes from within / gossiping pink petals / Bar Vitelli, Dad, a grappa, coming of age in the heat. Great imagery 🙂
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Thank you Sunra ❤️
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I love both lemons and oranges… I loved your journey to Sicily which reminded me of a week I spent in a summer school in Erice… even more than lemons though I remember the perfect oranges they sold
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I spent most of my visit on the east of the country, I would like to go back and she more of the west!
Thank you for your comment Björn.
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You make such a great argument for the lemon, I’m thinking a sour is in order for the evening–peel the rind for a twist. The fruit comparisons were my favourite. Lemon, your tops!
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Thank you K 😍
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Excellent ode to the lemon (and Italy too).
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Thank you Ron
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Your poem transported me to Italy and inside your mind fragrant with lemon. You captured their journey and beauty so well here. ❤
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Thank you A Reading Writer ☺️
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Your poem transported me to Italy, Darius, one of my favourite places; my daughter got married in Tuscany. I enjoyed the couplets, the light-heartedness, especially ‘When life gives you vanilla, add lemons’, and the excellent advice. Lemons are versatile and their scent is wonderful. My favourite part is the Sicilian memories. I’ll let you into a secret – I’m a huge Montalbano fan, I have all the books and watched the TV series several times. Tonight we’re eating asparagus, pea and lemon linguine.
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It makes me so happy to read your takeaways. It seems it hit, just how, and where, I hoped.
Your dinner sounds delish. I love a risotto with asparagus (tinned – because they break down into a creamy texture and disappear into it) and a generous squeeze of lemon. Bellissimo!
Thank you for popping over to share dinners (and comments) Kim 😋
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An underrated and absolutely indispensable fruit. It’s also the perfect flavour enhancer for most savoury dishes. I love how you link it to memories of Italy. We visited Lake Garda and apparently there’s an island on the lake with a tradition of making lemon soap since medieval times…
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Italy is my absolute favourite place – seeped in culture and history. I am a tiny bit jealous you’re right next door.
I imagine Slovenia must be beautiful too. Writing that, in fact, I once got a coach from Venice to Pula, in Croatia, so, I MUST have been to Slovenia… briefly 😮
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I love this – those memories of italy. And lemon trees fruit all year round – so generous. It’s a fruit I tend to take for granted. Thank you for the reminder to treasure it.
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Thank you Sarah, that does sound incredibly generous of them, and although Ive picked lemons before, I didn’t know that!
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Oh, yes and then again, yes. Lemons are golden. For all those things. And the memories that arise are precious as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I love it. And you got a follow too. Be well. I wish you miracles.
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Thank you Selma, for you warmly received sweetness! I may add a little lemon 🍋 – Perfect!
I’ll be off to read your work now! 😊
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