WORTH IT

My driveway curves up the .

hill through heavy trees. In

Spring and early Summer,

my rusty lawnmower

keeps the undergrowth at bay

along the edges of the gravel.

I have to beware of the

blackberries whose green canes

lean out to bathe their small

flowers in the sun, armed with

vicious thorns it’s hard to dodge.

In defense, I keep old, long sleeved

shirts at the back of my closet

to save my arms when they're

hooked as I pass by.

I chuckle and think of the white-eyed

British running from gator-fired

cannonballs through the briers and

the brambles, in the Battle of

New Orleans. It’s no wonder they lost.

Of late, the solstice droughts

have kept the berries small and tight,

and there aren't nigh as many

as there was awhile ago.

But I dig out another raggedy

discard, spray my hands and cuffs

with Deet against the chiggers,

to gather a cobbler-sized can,

because they taste better than the ones

from the store. Later, that hot pie

topped with vanilla ice-cream,

is good enough to make up for my

ineffectual defenses.

At least a hundred chiggers

are firing up under the elastic band

of my underwear, and the briers

have left a road-map of red lines

traced where the brambles

got through.

Reviews

[Lorry]

And let's not forget Vol that the reason the Vikings never made it into mainland Scotland was our national emblem, the modest thistle.
Anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in a thistle patch would wish quick bullet over the slow death of thousands of cuts.
Okay, so they just rowed a bit farther south and invaded England instead but I don't see many horn-helmeted invaders any time I visit south of the border, so it all worked out well in the end! 😃

[Vol]

https://www.sobpedro.com/

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Fantastic write! I smiled all the way through. I've done this same thing myself and to beat all, the briars were all mixed with poison ivy, not a place you'd want to get scratched. But I've been fortunate so far. I only picked enough one year for half a pie so I mixed some blueberries in and made "Black and Blue Pie" It was awesome with some vanilla ice cream on it. We used to rub our sleeves with turpentine to thwart the chiggers. I loved this.

[Vol]

Fabian!
Where in Appalachia are you from... I've spent some tome there, myself.
Vol

[Fabian G. Franklin]

The North Carolina Blue Ridge. Fun times growing up there.

[Vol]

I've been there many times, When I lived near Nashville, my wife sold Persian cats and we made deliveries from Harrisburg, Pa to Jacksonville, Fl. and Asheville north and through Virginia is one of the most beautiful in the country.... i envy your roots!
Vol

[Arti]

Worth it.
If it was written by my son
I would have definitely slapped him
Does every woman look for that chiggers only??
I would say show your serious angry not naked truth which may endanger such species otherwise no protection they will just need a rod or banmboo.
In protecting you from females

Any way if it was written by my man I would say there are no comments getting what out of love . Physical body only suffice I would tell look beyond nakedness. She wants their blood and flesh only come out if they want to rip off clothes.


Jessy Jacob

[Vol]

Jessy Jacob,
Do what?
Vol

[John the Baptist]

My condolences, Vol, on the chiggers and the other things that make dealing with blackberries so difficult, but I wish you could do something about those delicious little fruits. Their shelf life, I mean. Two days in the fridge and they've got the consistency of mud. They even make strawberries look hardy.

[Vol]

Hmmm. I don't know, but I think a bunch of sugar on them might work?