Before he died
he asked for a bowl of strawberries.
He knew he should not have them
But he said
"What the heck -
Death is coming no matter what
I eat."
So I went down by the woods
at the edge of our property -
just where the sun
touches the fallen pine cones and
the soft breezes bend the tall grasses before dusk.
No bucket - so in
My crisp, white cotton apron
I carried as many strawberries
as I could pick.
My hands were stained red-
my mouth too because I ate almost as many as I carried.
I returned to the house,
dumped them unceremoniously into the
kitchen sink to wash.
He said,
"Did you get 'em?"
In response, I brought him a
large bowl filled to the overflowing.
And so before he died,
we ate those strawberries,
slowly through one silent hour.
When months later, he was gone-
I thought-
Everybody should have a
strawberry day before they must
leave this world.
(c) 2006 Pamela Tyree Griffin
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Comments: 18
importantthings.gather.com
Thank you again. Made me cry but in a good way....
Marilyn
Thanks for reading and for your kind words.
What a lovely picture you've painted with your words. I love the part about the crisp white apron and your hands and mouth being stained red because of having eaten almost as many as you carried. Something we all would have done.
He asked for something without knowing it, that would bring a new respect to the colorful tastiness of strawberries.... because of your story. Thank you and him.