strawberry harvest

this evening

i worked my way through our strawberry patch

delicately cupping clusters of

sun warmed crimson fruit

hunched like a greedy troll

while on tip-toe

i

may have looked like a mountain dancer

while in reality

i was minding the space underfoot

careful not to crush

those berries not yet at perfect pitch

last year

we planted 4 varieties of strawberry

two june bearing

chandler and sequoia

one everbearing

quinalt

and finally

alpine

which we grew from seed

direct from italy

the berries grow different sizes

at different rates

each with its own flavor profile

but equally sweet

very sweet

with strawberry flavor

that

saturates your tongue

our first harvest

is strictly for eating

one by one

until our bellies are full

and our lips

rosy red

i'll let you know if there are any left for sharing