XXVIII
I thought emotional blackmail was for humans
Someone's attention to retain,
But that was before I discovered
The tyranny of the raspberry cane.
I feed and weed and monsters
When the experts say I should
But now that summer is here
And the weather is really good ...
It's difficult to go out
And ignore the plaintive sight
Of redly clustered berries
Free from pests and blight.
There is sorrow and silent reproach
In each red compound eye.
I avert my gaze and steal past
But hear a heartfelt sigh ...
Of raspberry rejection
And it breaks my heart
To spurn their ripe surrender
To cream - or flan - or tart.
But I did spend four hours yesterday
And five the day before
Picking and picking and picking
'Till my hands were red and raw.
My friends all come to help me
But I still can't keep on top
Of this year's ruby harvest
My bumper raspberry crop.
I supose I could cut them down?
No - I couldn't be such a brute
And nothing can brighten a drear winter day
Like a bowl of ripe red summer fruit.
To G.L.
(Thank goodness for freezers)
July 1992
