Forbidden Fruit

Painting: 'Flaming June' by Sir Frederic Leighton

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My neighbour is blessed with a big mango tree that grows in his backyard,

He takes care of it day and night and gets ripe golden mangoes as its reward.

It's neither the neighbour nor his hardwork nor the tree I look forward to,

It's the juicy ripe golden mangoes that I am attracted to.

One big branch of the tree crosses the fence and encroaches my backyard,

A single piece of mango from its tip hangs downward.

I sit on my verandah and watch the golden mango keenly,

It changes its colour and shape slowly.

The ripeness of the mango and its scent makes me to salivate,

I watch it like a hungry being craving for its taste.

It puts me in a dilemma whether to pluck it or not,

But I am sure it's not wrong just to give it a thought.

It forces me to think that to whom does the golden mango belong to,

Is it the neighbour or is it the tree?

Or is it for the hungry one who plucks it for free.

Blessed are the beings who do not have brains,

The more you think the more it pains.

In the meanwhile, the golden mango seduces me,

I can control my desire no more,

I pluck it quickly, run inside my house and slowly close my door.

Whether what I did was right,

I am not sure.

What I did was raw,

What I did was pure.