Michael Ansara
PICKING RASPBERRIES
The day is hot, the sky cloudless
Sweat trickles down the back
Our plucking fingers stained
Sweetness is a strategy
birds and berry bushes know
seduction wrapped in red
My son has said goodbye
gently, firmly, to his first lover
I am envious
of his future of split geometry,
opened frames, blossom sap
and of her
soft hurt,
his strong back
his necessary cruelty
Michael Ansara spent many years as an activist and an organizer. He is the co-founder of Mass Poetry. He serves on the Board of the Redress Movement and the organizing team for Volunteer Blue. His poems have appeared in numerous journals. His first book of poems, What Remains, was published in June of 2022 by Kelsay Books.