Blackberry Memoir

Blackberry Memoir Blackberries, round and glossy, Always invite me to return To dusty country summer afternoons When languid waves of mirages Puddle into shimmering hiatus. From the gently swaying hammock I hear the rattle of berry pails To see my grandmother, in her straw hat, Smile an invitation - come with her Into the wild blackberry patch. Like garter snakes that hide in the thorny brambles Tangled canes slither across the sandy path No perfect rows only prickly trailing briars That soar from the heart of the thicket In arching limbs to touch on summer skies. Like raven tresses the blackberry fruit glistens - Capturing sweetness from the glowing sun - Purple stained fingers release the ripeness Then hear it plunk in the berry bucket - Delicious as raindrops in a summer storm. Warm evening settles in contented sighs Watching moonlight creep through tangled vines When juicy blackberry pie warm from the oven Arrives on clear plates with salivating praise Topped with ice cream dripping down the sides. When autumn strips the jumbled canes To lie barren beneath the winter sun My grandmother’s blackberry jam journeys In reveries of summer days to come When simple berry picking untangles life. 8-2-22 Contest: Your Thoughts on Blackberries Sponsor: Matt Caliri