The First Thump

 Picking Blueberries 

There’s no better sound than the first thump of a blueberry hitting the bottom of my cup, 

I reached into the bush to gently pull a cluster off, releasing more thump, thump, thump, 

As the cup slowly filled, however, the sound became much quieter and then still, 

And the peacefulness covered me like a warm blanket, if you will, 

Plump, ripe blue morsels were mesmerizing, as the green ones I overlooked, 

Eating them right off the branch is a liberty I always took, 

I gained much satisfaction from methodically filling my cup to the brim, 

It was a magical time, as I moved from stem to stem, 

A task, yes, but more like a fun time of adventure, 

And unlike blackberries, there were no thorns to censure, 

Although poison ivy was lurking at my ankles, I dare say, 

I was faithfully committed to picking anyway, 

Ever so slowly, the harvest started to mound, 

A few of them naturally fell to the ground, 

But sooner or later my task was done,

 And the joy in my heart was an immeasurable one, 

Who would have thought a full cup would feel so great, 

So when blueberry-picking time arrives, I won’t hesitate. 

Tammy Harvey 

Written: 4/27/2021