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?