Picking Berries In The Wild

The absolute height of summer vacation as kids

Was the two weeks of berry season by my house

Our parents would take me and my sister around the yard

And up and down the gravel road, but not into anyone else's yard

The berries were planted there long ago by someone

At least, that's what dad always said

Ripe berries were easy to spot, they were full black with no red spots

Green usually meant the season hadn't started yet

It was easy to pick all the berries that were low and in the front

But most of them were at the top or on the underside of the bush

And this meant prickers had to be handled very carefully

Or you'd get cut up pretty bad, especially if you traveled to the center of a bush

We'd pick just enough to eat that day

Sometimes we'd freeze a bag for later

Or give some to gramma to make a pie

Her pies were the sweetest summer treat!