Dreams of Raspberries

And a Gift of Blackberries — a poem

I dream of raspberries — the sweet taste of summer. Languishing, surrounded by the pinkish-red berries and My high school sweetheart in the throes of lovemaking Afterglow — ah… We feed each other raspberries laughing Raucously, drunk on summer and love in the summer of ‘69.

And of course, blackberries nearby overgrown and how I wished To be devoured by their thorns when she left me for the Captain Of the High School Football Team. Sweet dreams of raspberries Of summer lost. Oh, melancholy.

Young love devoured me again and I fell for her and her for me In crazy love with each other and blackberries grew without fruit. Prolific in their desire to hurt. Unfaithful she was two times. Ever forgive a soulmate when my mind said but yes and my heart said: No. (I can’t trust you.)

And the blackberry’s berryless grew on — until workers weeded them out. They came back of course, for years without flowers or berries. And now I feel her coming closer. She could be a lifelong friend, lover and Playmate. The blackberry shoots with thorns and all came to flowers Bearing the fruit of unripened blackberries.

A blessing, a gift, a promise of late-blooming love… And eating blackberries and dreaming of my love and I eating summer Formed in the sweet morsels of plucked pinkish-red raspberries. And laughing with her and the raspberries and blackberries of summer, And every season hence. Yum.

F. K. Ontario

If you enjoyed this poem consider subscribing or following my stories on spirituality, forging peace in the world, poetry, commentary, and fiction