March Mango Madness

I don't like college basketball but I sure love mangoes. Mango season is in full swing. I remember it lasted for about five months when we lived in Costa Rica. We ate them, Marty brought them to work, we gave them to friends, our employees, teachers and even people on the street who politely asked for one.

Mangoes come in different varieties. We had the large green/red ones, but I prefer the small yellow ones. I just made a fruit smoothie with mangoes and other fruits. That's when I remembered about all things mango. We also had all things banana four or five times a year, but that's another story.

Speaking of stories, I wrote one called "The Mango Lady." My friend's kids always referred to me as such. I also wrote a poem called "The Mango Wars." Mangoes were an obsession, a delicious one.

Never be shy about cutting up a mango, which is very hard to do, and just eating it over the sink with the juicy pulp running down your chin. Here's an excerpt from my"Mango" poem.

There's glory for all

here among the fleshy perfumed orbs,

unless you're shelled while snoozing in the hammock.

If you survive, you have this story to tell:

I watched the mangoes rain down.

It was hell, and I lived.

Oh yes, I lived.