Berry Good Neighbours

The blackberry, elderberry and strawberry congregated for a meeting The blackberry had a thorny issue The elderberry looked down on them The strawberry had low self esteem This is our lot, sharing this plot The strawberry said with a low voice But the blackberry wanted to hedge his bets And the elderberry rose to the occasion Subterranean subversive shoots Emerged between the elderberry’s roots Lancing the soil with spiked spears And the strawberry sent out runners To spread the word and warn the others Whilst the white heads of the elderberry Filled with aphids – customers in a restaurant But they were surprised to find themselves on the menu as the larvae of the lady bugs were the waitrons and in the shade of the elderberry the strawberry bloomed and lay down its products to market within the picket fence of the security estate built by the blackberry