Trelise McEwan
1st equal, Junior Category (11-14 years)

Swallowing Pomegranate History

Bright circles of pink to red.
A shine of cherry red peel,
Soft pearl flesh embedded in the fruit.
A flower sitting on top.
Bubbles of flavour deep within the snow
Oozing bubbly seeds.
Alive for several millennia
Its place in Egyptian mythology and art,
Will stay forever.
613 seeds for the 613 commandments in the Torah.
The pomegranate tree sprang from the blood of Dionysus,
Pome garnete, a seeded apple.
Woven into priests’ robes
Sprouting in early spring.
Teeth sinking into the fruit.
A sharp knife piercing the skin,
Revealing the history within.
Fresh, flavoursome fruit.
Swallowing history.
Hanging from the tree,
The fruit sits in patience
To grow in March and April.
The pomegranate sits, hanging from the tree
Waiting for the day it’s picked.