Thank you to everyone who joined us for this session!

For this session we read a poem “Of Avocados” by Juan J. Morales, posted below.

Our prompt was: “Write about what to return for.”

Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (“Leave a Reply”), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.

Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if you’re able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!

Please join us for our next session Friday April 25th at 12pm EDT, with more times listed on our Live Virtual Group Sessions.

Of Avocados by Juan J. Morales

Like two hands pressed
together, they are twice as large
on the island. One feeds
the family meal, sending us to wonder
why are they so small
stateside? On our last visit to PR
we sat on my tío’s patio
to talk and drink cafecitos.
My dad stared down the giant tree
burdened with dark green fruit.
His brother didn’t offer him
a single one.
My tío died soon after
that visit. Dad kept bringing up
the abundance his brother never offered,
not as a grudge, but as a recollection
of what we still couldn’t get in the states,
of what was delicious enough
to keep all borders open.

Within the year, two more
of dad’s siblings passed away
and last week we lost him,
a man who planned to return for
one more avocado. For each of us,
he would have peeled away craggy skin,
parsed the flesh, and held out
those green wedges
on the point of his knife. We would have
accepted it
as one last gift
to savor in our mouths.

Credit:Juan J. Morales