Blackberry days

Easy picking
           of the low-hanging fruit
the sun each evening
           lower in the sky
warm days
           cool nights
the grass thick with dew
           when we wake

I said
           winter is staring us in the face
let’s take care of those things
           of the spirit that will determine
our happiness and well-being
           in the hard days ahead

Let’s be wise in our affairs
           and articulate the love
we feel for each other
           and above all
let’s make amends
           for any offence

There are blackberries
           in abundance in woodlands
along the railway cuttings
           in back gardens—
let’s enjoy them while we can
           and be thankful

John Lyons

Totally revised