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.