blackberries

perhaps
you could help me 
pick blackberries
from the blackberry bush
we'll dodge the summer sun
in spatters of shade 
by the long highway road
then turn down the path
of bare dirt in the grass
and stroll 'til we reach
the thorny briar patch
we'll prudently gather 
placing berries with care
into maple wood buckets
with crude steel handles
that will aid us to back home
and when daylight meets dusk
if you still want to help
with the blackberry jam
you weigh the sugar
and i'll tend to the stove
add a smidgeon of cinnamon
and pinch of crushed clove
we'll trade away tartness
for simmering sweetness
with the fruits of our labor
to be shared just between us