BLACKBERRIES

For human hands they hang (such rich, such ruby pearls!)

in brambling branches under elder-berry showers,

whorls and walls of them.

They are their own soft-centred earls,

a dash of red-black blood, such drops of sheer

blackbloodedness, branched hundreds under heaven.

<a href="https://pixabay.com/en/blackberries-rubus-sectio-rubus-486654/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source</a>

Throughout these hot, blenched days

their unripe guardians, those red beads

struggling out of hearts of redness,

heavy on the bitter stalk with choiceless beauty –

chosen by the guided hand, by the instinctive bird.

<a href="https://pixabay.com/en/bird-feed-eating-beautiful-2459186/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source</a>