Fruit was a language she knew

They brought them in suitcases
they brought them in trunks
tucked into the folds of napery
seeds that became artichokes
cuttings from grape vines that
flourished in backyard alcoves
sticks that grew into fig trees
and took root in unexpected places

With braids of garlic hanging from
garage ceilings, Mediterranean
gardens began thriving in
the suburbs of Melbourne
when they came from Greece
they brought Greece with them
heirlooms, never to forget home

After working long days on
the production line at
the Grosby shoe factory
and exhausted from learning
English through conversation
in the lunch room, mother found
solace at the end of the day tending
to her garden, she was most
comfortable there, by the fig trees
fruit was a language she knew

If the fig tree can grow and adapt
in a land not its own then
she can thrive here too
its rooting and hers are tied
their origins journeyed together
to begin a new life, on a small
patch of green she is content
like a dandelion contemplating
the passing of time.

Fotoula Reynolds, born in Australia of Greek heritage, lives in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. Along with four published poetry collections, ‘The Sanctuary of My Garden’ (2018), ‘Silhouettes’ (2019), ‘Along the Macadam Road’ (2020), and ‘Kairos (2022)’, she was a 2019 US Pushcart Prize nominee, and her poems have appeared widely in magazines and journals in Australia and overseas. She convenes a local community poetry reading group, and attends and participates regularly in spoken-word events in Melbourne. Her poem today was one of the winning entries in the Greek Australian Cultural League’s 2022 bilingual Literary Competition.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.