For the Love of Fruit

The tomato.

The order of development in which this plant grew is well known to most and yet, I think there’s more to the story than any of us could possibly imagine. While examining at the photo, I envision the process Celeste went through to cultivate such a beautiful fruit and am thankful she dug out her camera before picking it off the vine. That plump red, against the green, leaves a girl inspired to plant her own crop if only to have such a thing closer to her, tangible, able to taste.

And I don’t even like tomatoes.

I can’t help but notice how pleased my eyes are with the curves of the shot. They explore the roundness of the fruit once, twice, three times. And that red. It’s so captivating! The sunlight creates shadows that aren’t very contrasting, still they add interest. Even the arc of the plant stand draws my attention to other areas, other colors. Now I’m almost salivating.

And I don’t even like tomatoes.

The leaf in focus also has some curvature to it, but rigid enough I don’t spend much time here. Out of focus, the background is intriguing and I wonder about that little green guy. His vine-mate looks to be fairly large, almost as if he sucked up all the nutrients, leaving this one green. Realizing the somewhat ridiculousness of creating a personality for a fruit, my eyes find the vine right in the center. Peering closer, you can see the little “hairs” and this excites me. I feel like I could reach out and graze that fuzz. My fingers move to the closest tomato and before I know it, I’m right there with Celeste, enjoying the Floridian sun, picking one myself.

And I don’t even like tomatoes.

Photos of Interest..

These two top photos were taken by my very dear friend, Celeste Navara, and I must give credit where it is due! A big thanks to her for letting me "borrow" them! :)

Plantation Overseer

Pompous and arrogant. Leg propped up on the bumper of his shiny car in pure pride, this plantation owner appears to be a real jerk. His white, or light in color, attire gives him a holier-than-thou look that is almost nauseating. The men behind him are clearly submissive to his authority; their dark faces show slight emotion. I can’t tell if it’s the lighting, but these boys look tired.

I’m not a pro at analyzing photography from a technical standpoint. However, I can see that the plantation owner is offset to the right, and with the men elevated behind him, your eye is naturally drawn that direction. The faces of the assumed slaves are most intriguing to me and I wish they were clearer for further inspection.

The other man the owner is apparently chatting with seems to be in decent humor, perhaps smiling? I wonder who he is and what kind of conversation they are having…something as arbitrary as the weather, or maybe a topic more politically inclined. The disgruntled look on plantation owner’s face gives me the impression he isn’t enjoying whatever it is they’re discussing.

Sullen, the men on the stairs look like they are waiting for Mr. Owner to finish talking, but without any complaints. Why are they here? What could a plantation owner need five of his men in town for? The condition of their clothes, in addition to wearing hats and shoes, makes me feel like they are treated with as much fairness found in the late Thirties, which somewhat contradicts my first impression of the owner. A couple of these men look directly at the camera, and even though shadows cover their eyes, you can see the blank stares, the numbness, the open windows.

The angle at which this photo was taken leaves me curious. Seriously, why did she include the stranger on the left? Maybe because of the conversation going on? But then why can we only see a small portion of his body? What are the other men thinking, listening to the white folk? Do they care? Are they allowed to care?

What color is that car?

So many questions.

Why I Write

I write...
for the love of language.
because sometimes things just sound better on paper.
to tell my story.
for the amusement of others.
because I like it.
to get rid of baggage.
for a wage.
because I'm pretty ok at it.
to make a point.
for fun.
because it makes me feel sane.
to be perfectly articulate.
for my family.
because there's something about a sentence with perfect grammar.
to be me.