The Firmest Raspberries
You asked me to paint you a picture
Remember?
I laughed at the cliché but asked you what of
And you said: Anything.
As long as the Earth serves as the canvas
And succulent red raspberries the paint.
Remember when we took our clothes off?
After the berries collected in a hand-woven basket
The firmest ones you had ever seen, you said:
How beautiful it will be to paint a picture
A magnificent, natural creation
Remember?
Later that evening, we created the paint
We stood, pressed together, in that raggedy basket
And one at a time, we lifted our feet
And stomped them back down, up and down, up and down
Remember how disappointed you with the deep puddle of red?
Not vibrant, not viscid, or deep enough, you said
Remember? Because that’s the last I remember.
Remember coming back to consciousness
Under the muddy boot of... thirty-five years the sheriff
And never had he experienced something so frightening
Armed and ready, he let you stand, and you got to your feet,
Feet stained with a deep, bright red
Remember?
You gazed at the ground and spotted your creation and you
Remembered everything, and you were finally pleased
The Earth before you displayed an arresting painting
A viscous red pigment maneuvered into excellent designs
So beautifully contrasted against the freshness of the brown soil
Your natural, magnificent creation
Your paintbrush had been a knife
And my body, your hand-woven basket
There I lay: tattered, torn, raggedy
And you thanked me for painting you a picture
Remember?
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