How to Cut a Pomegranate
by Imtiaz Dharker
‘Never,’ said my father,
‘Never cut a pomegranate
through the heart. It will weep blood.
Treat it delicately, with respect.
Just slit the upper skin across four quarters.
This is a magic fruit,
so when you split it open, be prepared
for the jewels of the world to tumble out,
more precious than garnets,
more lustrous than rubies,
lit as if from inside.
Each jewel contains a living seed.
Separate one crystal.
Hold it up to catch the light.
Inside is a whole universe.
No common jewel can give you this.’
Afterwards, I tried to make necklaces
of pomegranate seeds.
The juice spurted out, bright crimson,
and stained my fingers, then my mouth.
I didn’t mind. The juice tasted of gardens
I had never seen, voluptuous
with myrtle, lemon, jasmine,
and alive with parrots’ wings.
The pomegranate reminded me
that somewhere I had another home.
© Imtiaz Dharker.
from The terrorist at my table. Reproduced by permission of Bloodaxe Books
The terrorist at my table
Imtiaz Dharker
Related resources
About Imtiaz Dharker
Imtiaz Dharker’s poetry often deals with themes of identity, separation and home, reflecting the experiences of her own life. Born in Pakistan, she was moved to Scotland when she was very young and brought up in Glasgow. She currently lives between India, London and Wales. She describes herself as a ‘Scottish Muslim Calvinist’.
As well as poetry, Dharker also produces drawings and documentary films. She had her first solo exhibition in 1982 and has created over three hundred films. Her five collections of poetry to date all include her own artwork and she often combines art exhibitions with poetry readings. In her art and writing Dharker challenges us to question how we live on an individual and global scale and how we respond to others and ourselves.
Imtiaz Dharker is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and in 2013 was poet in residence at the Cambridge University Library.
