The Inquiry

*Special Note: This comic strip was created using ToonDo (www.toondo.com). The dialogue between the Manga characters is an actual Twitter feed conversation between my friends and I.

In the Strangest of Places...

Special Note: This photo was taken in my actual living room in my real apartment. I can't remember the brand of the wall paint, but I used the household name "Sherwin Williams" to create this poster advertisement. By the way, this wall color really is named "guacamole," and my dining room's wall color is "salsa red." No joke. An interesting note: I learned Adobe Photoshop tricks in order to create the above image.

How Do I Get 'Em?!

Click on the image below to view.

Innocence Lost

Chan Chan(1) reached for the ancient fruit,
Like an alligator's spawn, young and green,
The cries of his people grew,
They were here--fighting,
Taking items as if they were a belonging,
Chan Chan shed a tear and prayed for peace.

The sun set and then fell peace,
Dark shadows crawled over the fruit,
Night soothed the tension--belonging,
Quiet and relaxed was the inner green,
Taking a recess from the weeping and fighting,
Yet, light returns; fear grew.

As the shouts and cursing grew,
A longtime friend made his escape, Peace,
Was his name and worth fighting,
He ran and ran, passing by the fruit
Down through the fields of lush green,
Searching for another place of belonging.

Where had Chan Chan misplaced that ol' sense of belonging?
Frustration, despair, slowly grew.
And then, there was the green.
His only pathway to peace.
"Tranquilo(2) , fuerte(3), " spoke the fruit.
With humility: "I'm not worth the fighting."

In the distance, ensued more fighting,
Chan Chan and the fruit together, belonging,
The Warrior, and, aguacate(4), the fruit.
Their bond, like roots of the Mother Tree, grew.
And, for a split second, entered Peace,
like the dove carrying the green.

Then, the rain came with the scent of green,
The thunder rolled, echoing the roars of fighting,
Death. Silence. And, finally, peace.
Rebirth. Renew. No more false belonging,
The conquistadores were gone. The celebrations grew.
Chan Chan smiled in the presence of the omniscient fruit.

Here arrives Peace, followed by green,
Rejoiceful, the fruit knows no more fighting,
With Chan Chan, a belonging, a new found future that grows and grew. (5)


(1) Chan Chan is a pre-Incan city said to have existed circa 900 AD.
(2) Translation: tranquil or calm.
(3) Translation: strength.
(4) Aguacate is the Incan word for avocado, or the first known word for the fruit.
(5) Ruiz, B. (2006). All about avocados: history of the Hass avocado. Retrieved Apr. 20, 2010, from What's Cooking America, California. Web site: http://whatscookingamerica.net/avacado.htm.


Special note: "Innocence Lost" is my first try at writing a traditional sestina. I wanted to use this form to convey the sense of old and traditional; my attempt was to re-create a legend story of the discovery of the first avocado.

Brokaw Nursery of Saticoy, California

Austere, grandfather-aged mountains

stand tall in the background, looking over

the young army of avocado trees.

The blindingly bright southern California sol*,

and dry, coffee-colored soil

cradle the incubating fruit.

Early afternoon sun beams overhead,

in an ocean blue sky, cloudless.

Rustling avocado leaves,

Chase the wind's every move.

The crow caws in the distance,

as the trees are sprayed with Nature's gift--

water, by man-made irrigation systems.

Who owns this farm?

What inspired the farmer to grow avocados?

Will this year's crop yield productive?

Will I eat one of their Hass avocados?

A calm overwhelms me.

I am inspired, refreshed, and

hungry.

The avocado leaves praise the sun.

The avocado leaves praise the sun.

The avocado leaves praise the sun.**

*Translation: sun.

**Brokaw, E. (2009). Brokaw nursery. Retrieved Apr. 10, 2010, from Brokaw Nursery, Inc., Saticoy, CA. Web site: http://brokawnursery.com/.

The Shopper, the Produce Worker, & the Farm Hand

Click on the image below to view.

Katrina's ¿Que Guay?* Guacamole

1 avocado
1 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T lime juice
2-4 drops of Texas Pete hot sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
Additional ingredients may include: diced tomato, diced onion, minced jalapeno pepper, and/or chopped cilantro.

Cut avocado length-wise. Use sharp knife to quickly jab into large seed and twist. Eject seed. Slice avocado into squares within avocado skin. Spoon out the avocado meat. Discard skin. Mash avocado in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine ingredients. Mix.

Serves: 2-3 persons or 1 avocado lover

Note: This guacamole recipe also makes for a great spread for many sandwiches, such as the Turkey BLT. The possibilities are endless! So, try it!

*Translation: How cool/awesome!

Avocado Kills?

Jan Box, 32,

lost four of her fluffy, snow-

colored rabbits last Monday. The

persin got to them. Persin is a fungicidal

toxin that is fatal to animals, such as birds,

mice, cows, goats, sheep, horses, and, you

guessed it: rabbits. How can something so

ordinary--so edible to humans--be so dangerous

to cute, big-eyed animals? Headline reads

AVOCADO KILLS FOUR RABBITS. But, I know that my

sacred avocado is no murderer. Perhaps, friendly Jan

is the culprit here. After all, she says herself, "I was offered

several avocados as treats for my 18 rabbits." Treats? TREATS?!

Seems a little irresponsible if you ask me. Anyone with 18 rabbits

should know and understand their pet's diet. The sweetness in Jan's

voice does not dissuade me. "They chomped on them as they would a tasty

carrot." LIKE A CARROT? Rabbits know the difference between an avocado

and a carrot. Believe me: one's orange and the other's green. Let's not forget

that one's also a vegetable and the latter's a fruit! Luckily, the persin (or Jan)

only got to four of them. The other 14 survived. Scientists proclaim the most

dangerous of all supermarket-sold avocados is the Guatemalan avocado. My

question to you is: Is the avocado or the persin or the person the killer? If you're

lovely pet is experiencing stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or breathing difficulty,

you should probably call a doctor. If you're pet is experiencing an amateur pet

owner, perhaps you should call a psychologist or a vet or your neighbor. Jans of our

communities must be closely watched! Jan had the nerve to end her interview with

local media, "All I can do now is warn other owners to prevent more unnecessary

deaths. I'm trying to turn this dreadful experience into a positive one by ensuring

other pet owners are aware of the dangers of persin. Then my four beloved

bunnies won't have died in vain." Local media: avocados aren't the ones to

be blamed here. If you feel the same way that I do, please reply to

katrinabenton@gmail.com--I'll share my famous guacamole

recipe! Just don't feed it to the rabbits, for Pete's sake!

*This story comes from an actual news story on the pet website, Burgess Pet Care. I found this article humorous because it deals with my multigenre topic in the most ridiculous of ways. So, I converted the story into a concrete poem with a dash of satire. Please do not feed avocado to your pets; it's highly fatal. http://www.burgesspetcare.co.uk/news/story/avocado-kills-four-rabbits.html

An Avocado is an Alligator

An avocado is an alligator
Surreptitiously lurking,
Silent yet territorial--
And will stand his ancient ground--strong,
All in the name of survival.

Rigid skin, delicate innards,
An avocado is an alligator.

Not just any alligator,
P. americana is from Pueblo, Mexico.
It knows the Incan hymn book,
It is a well-acquainted member of nature’s society, and
It has seen life that no longer exists.

But, it exists.
It has survived.

And, now, it’s family extends to the far corners of the Earth,
From Central and South America,
To North America and even Australia.

Rigid skin, delicate innards,
The avocado is an alligator.

Reliant on the sacred water,
Dependent on Mother Nature’s conditions,
The avocado is an alligator.

Seeking survival,
Then facing extinction.*


















*Persea americana is the avocado's scientific name.
This extended metaphor poem stemmed from one of the many nicknames of the avocado: alligator pear.
"Avocado." Encyclopædia britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
27 Apr. 2010. .

Our First Date

Dark, rough in texture
Beckoning me to peer inside
Quiet, reserved
Unwilling, maybe even shy--at first.

An exchange of friendly words.
A glance of curiosity passes between,
and I am captivated.

I slice.

It surges green in color,
Exotic in smell,
Supple and lush by the touch.

I remove that uncomfortable pit,
.............and,

I bite.

I am now in California or maybe Mexico.
I hear the drum beating of Aztecans,
Singing about your skin's father--
the alligator.*

I digest.

Nutritional satisfaction.

My appetite is cured, and
I hope that we can meet again

tomorrow night for dinner and a movie.

*The "alligator" reference is one to the avocado's nickname "alligator pear."
"Avocado." Encyclopædia britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 27 Apr. 2010. .

av·o·ca·do (ave-kädo) n.

The avocado is a fruit tree native to the lands of the Carribbean, Mexico, South America, and Central America, particularly Mexico’s south Andean region. However, California in the United States has been growing the fruit for a number of years. The avocado, or Persea americana, belongs to the family name Lauraceae along with the known cinnamon, camphor, and bay laurel. The avocado in Spanish is called aguacate or palta, which could be translated directly into English as “butter pear” or “alligator pear.” This particular fruit is produced on a commercial level and is cultivated in tropical climates. The tree is wide, tall, and spreading; its leaves are egg-shaped and range in 4-12 inches in length. Its tree is self-pollinating and is often propagated through grafting to ensure quality and quantity of the fruit. The actual fruit ranges in color and in shape but commonly is green- to dark purple-skinned in color and pear-like in shape. The avocado’s outer skin may be as thick as an apple’s skin and is coarse and woody in texture. The main purpose of the skin is to protect the inner green or yellowy flesh, which is like butter in consistency and contains a rich, almost nutty flavor. The innards are of particular value because it contains about ¼ of unsaturated oil, thamine, riboflavin, and vitamin A. The single large seed in the center is either rounded or conical.

Avocados were first cultivated in tropical Central American as individual trees after the Spanish conquest. However, the fruit did not receive serious attention until about 1900. Horticulturists found that the production of grafted trees were easier to farm and allowed perpetual seeding in the orchards. After many years passed, the avocado industry began to flourish in Florida and California, as well as in South Africa, and on a smaller level in Chile, Brazil, Hawaii, Australia, and some Pacific islands. Mexico, the avocado’s birthplace, is where the fruit is massively popular. Large quantities are produced and shipped to all regions of the world annually. Unusually, Israel has become a commercial spot for the fruit along with many other Mediterranean border countries. By race, the avocado is divided three ways: Mexican, West Indian, and Guatemalan. The Mexican race is considered the most distinct of species, Persea drymifolia, and is of course native to Mexico and characterized by the anise-like odor of the leaves and by its small size (3-8 oz.). Mexican avocados are thin-skinned and rich in flavor and overall quality. The Guatemalan, native to the mountains of Central America, is slightly less frost-resistant than the Mexican and produces fruits medium to large in size. The fruit has thick, woody skin and has a ripening season opposite of the others. The West Indian—the most tropical of the races—is limited in the United States and is only re-produced in southern Florida.

*This encyclopedia entry is a paraphrase of Brittanica’s Online Encyclopedia for the “avocado.”

"avocado." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 27 Apr. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/45866/avocado>.