Poetry

There are things it is hard to know: how soon to pick an avocado, when to end a love affair. The avocado, once mature, is best stored on the tree, left until days before needed. Patience is key. The fruit, first plucked, will still be hard in your hand, will need time to soften and sweeten. You have to wait until the “bloom” is off. The skin loses its shine and may even develop brown spots. When an avocado is fully mature the pit, hidden beneath the flesh, changes from smooth ivory to deep wooden brown. It is best to end a love affair before that.