the last red delights

you can hold
the ladder
and a bucket

I’ll climb up
on an angle
then reach deep
inside the foliage
to pick
the few ripe cherries
almost beyond
my over-balanced reach

but they’re
our red cherries
they don’t belong
to ratbag parrots

or wattlebirds

and you and I
have had a few
low-hangers
but have missed out
on the many

so these last tasty treats
unbalanced
though they may be
are destined to end up
in our pail

then
let’s go eat them

the juice running down our chins

and let’s go eat them
the tang released
inside our mouths

these cherries
are red delights

these cherries are the taste
of art
inside a small ball package

so let’s go
eat them

---

© Frank Prem, 2016

Poem #16: jungle rescue