If you came here searching for the as a simple text for a child, you have found something more valuable: a meditation on time, loss, and the fierce joy of being alive in a perishable body.

Read a critical introduction to his lyrical and personal poetry style at Learn about his iconic first novel, If We Dream Too Long , and its impact on Southeast Asian literature on between this poem and his famous novel If We Dream Too Long Goh Poh Seng - Singapore - NLB

Goh Poh Seng was awarded the in 1982. While he is often celebrated for his social realism and novels like If We Dream Too Long , "Fruits" showcases the more personal and lyrical side of his poetry found in collections like The Girl from Ermita & Selected Poems . Fruits Poem By Goh Poh Seng

The genius of “Fruits” lies in its quiet pivot. Midway, the poem shifts from description to reflection. The speaker realizes that the hand reaching for the fruit is no longer young. The teeth that once tore through skin are now cautious. The stomach that once welcomed any sweetness now negotiates with acid and regret.