“Questions to Tourists Stopped by a Pineapple Field” by W.S. Merwin

did you like your piece of pineapple          would you like a napkin
who gave you the pineapple          what do you know about them
do you eat much pineapple          where you come from
how did this piece compare          with pineapple you have eaten before
what do you remember about the last time          you ate a piece of pineapple
did you know where it came from          how much did it cost
do you remember the first time          you tasted pineapple
do you like it better fresh          or from the can
what do you remember          of the picture on the can
what did you feel          as you looked at the picture on the can    
which do you like better          the picture of the pineapple field
did you ever imagine          pineapples growing somewhere

how do you like          these pineapple fields
have you ever seen          pineapple fields before
do you know whether pineapple          is native to the islands
do you know whether the natives          ate pineapple
do you know whether the natives          grew pineapple
do you know how the land was acquired          to be turned into pineapple fields
do you know what is done to the land          to turn it into pineapple fields
do you know how many months          and how deeply they plow it
do you know what those machines do          are you impressed
do you know what is in those containers         are you interested

what do you think was here          before the pineapple fields
would you suppose that the fields          represent an improvement
do you think they smell better          than they did before
what is your opinion          of those square miles of black plastic
where do you think the plastic          goes when the crop is over
what do you think becomes of the land          when the crop is over
do you think the growers know best          do you think this is for your own good

what and where was the last          bird you noticed
do you remember          what sort of bird it was
do you know whether          there were birds here before
are there any birds          where you come from
do you think it matters         what do you think matters more
have you seen any          natives since you arrived
what were they doing           what were they wearing
what language were they speaking          were they in nightclubs
are there any natives          where you come from

have you taken pictures          of the pineapple fields
would you like for me         to hold the camera
so that you can all          be in the picture
would you mind          if I took your picture
standing in front          of those pineapple fields
do you expect           to come back

what made you decide          to come here
was this what           you came for
when did you first          hear of the islands
where were you then           how old were you
did you first see the islands          in black and white
what words were used          to describe the islands
what do the words mean          now that you are here
what do you do          for a living
what would you say is          the color of pineapple leaves
when you look at things in rows          how do you feel
would you like to dream           of pineapple fields

is this your first visit          how do you like the islands
what would you say          in your own words
you like best          about the islands
what do you want          when you take a trip
when did you get here          how long will you be staying
did you buy any clothes          especially for the islands
how much did you spend on them          before you came
was it easy to find clothes          for the islands
how much have you spent on clothes          since you got here
did you make your own plans          or are you part of a group
would you rather be on your own          or with a group
how many are in your group           how much was your ticket
are the side-tours part of the ticket          or are they extra
are hotel and meals and car           part of the ticket or extra
have you already paid          or will you pay later
did you pay by check          or by credit card
is this car rented          by the day or week
how does it compare           with the one you drive at home
how many miles          does it do to a gallon
how far do you          want it to go on this island

where have you been         in the last three hours
what have you seen          in the last three miles
do you feel hurried          on your vacation
are you getting         your money’s worth
how old are you          are you homesick are you well
what do you eat here          is it what you want
what gifts are you planning          to take back
how much do you expect          to spend on them
what have you bought          to take home with you
have you decided          where to put each thing
what will you say          about where they came from
what will you say         about the pineapple fields

do you like dancing here          what do you do when it rains
was this trip          purely for pleasure
do you drink more          or less at than at home
how do you like          the place where you live now
were you born there          how long have you lived there
what does the name mean          is it a growth community
why are you living there          how long do you expect to stay
how old is your house          would you like to sell it

in your opinion          coming from your background
what do the islands offer          someone of your age
are there any changes          you would like to promote
would you like to invest here          would you like to live here
if so would it be year round          or just for part of the year
do you think there is a future          in pineapple