Lessons From My Daughter While Strawberry Picking
a prose piece from the beginning of summer
One of the things I enjoyed the most about the Summer Poduce Series was the consistency and discipline it afforded my poetry writing. So, I’ve been playing around with another poetry series idea that I’d like to start soon! In the meantime, I don’t want to lose the habit of sharing words on here, so I’m pulling a piece from my archives (some revisions included).
A prosetry1 piece from the beginning of summer to usher us into a season of rest.
Lessons From My Daughter While Strawberry Picking
We parade the rows slowly—squinting and squatting—trying to spot the bright red amidst interwoven green. I point them out, the strawberries, showing you how to pluck them gently from their stems. Then, how to set them inside your basket, one at a time. You do as I did, a quick learner as you’ve always been. The crimson-colored berries pile. Across your face a smile, like that of someone satisfied with their harvest. I continue to march through, determined to hurry and see my bucket spill and fill with fruit. Turning to find you, I realize you are no longer gathering.
One with the bushes, you’ve planted yourself between them.
You sit and eat. Soon, fresh juice begins to drip down your short fingers and grinning lips. You take a bite and a lick.
I taught you how to pick. Now you teach me.
To pause. To take breaks to taste the fruit of my labor. To see goodness, the hand of providence. To find time and space, even as I toil, to rest.
- r.e.g.
And now some literary news:
- I’d like to continue sharing series related poems on Fridays, but was contemplating a separate day for posting prose-style poetry. Along the lines of what I shared above—not quite a poem, not quite prose. I’ve been challenging myself to try this style out, instead of my usual free verse writing, and have really enjoyed it! Is this something you’d all be interested in reading? I’d love to hear thoughts in the comment section! I’m thinking of calling it Monday Musings.
- My poem Mango Season (I first shared it on here a few months ago) was recently published as a part of Palette Global’s online summer issue: Solar. Click here to read the rest of the collection.
- A new autumn-themed piece I submitted to Prosetrics was accepted (!!!) and will be published in their upcoming print issue, Rudeneja2
-
kindly invited me to be a part of a poetry feature over on her blog, Behold-Her Beauty. I’m so honored to have a poem (titled Confidence) appear alongside other talented poets and their pieces. If you don’t subscribe to Deborah yet, you should!- I’ll soon be under the wonderful instruction of
and Heather Lobe Johnson as a student in their Poetry Cohort. There’s still a chance to join so click here if interested! I’d love to see familiar faces there.- Don’t forget you can now upgrade your subscription to paid which would get you a poetry print of mine in the mail every month!!
In Light of Eternity,
Rosa
Prose + poetry. A term coined (I believe) by Prosetrics magazine. I thought it was so clever.
“to describe the way nature and/or the weather begins to feel like Autumn”
I’d love to read some “Monday Musings”.
“One with the bushes, you’ve planted yourself between them.” Planted. Perfect verb here. This is beautiful! And, of course we want Monday Musings!