Mulberries in the Piedmont

Posted on 2020/05/12 by Bartholomew Barker

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Mulberries in the Piedmont

From the first snow melt
until my coatless hike,
I’ve walked under this tree
without noticing its mulberries.

I rush to pluck the fruit,
ripened purple over a warm night,
pop juicy morsels in my stained mouth,
gambling on sweet against tart.

A mother starling nags from overhead,
so I leave a few for her hatchlings—
a generosity I now regret.

Mulberry season is precarious—
and a man can’t be held responsible
in these perilous times.

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.
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12 Responses to Mulberries in the Piedmont

  1. Cassa Bassa says:
    2020/05/12 at 19:19

    ‘pop juicy morsels in my stained mouth,
    gambling on sweet against tart.’ 💚

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Lisa Tomey says:
    2020/05/12 at 19:38

    Oh how this returns me to childhood memories. Many a bird may have sacrificed for my mulberry appetite. And I’d do it again. Lovely words.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. House of Heart says:
    2020/05/13 at 20:55

    A lovely poem!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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