Splat - May 4, 2025

the mulberries can’t pick

themselves and the roof

has the perfect pitch and

height to forage in my tree

and I keep leaning farther in

one hand holding the tree

the other using my three best

fingers to grasp but for each

one picked, three fall

seems a ripe mulberry

drops quicker than a falcon’s

dive for a fat pigeon sunning

itself on a park bench

after collecting a fraction of

the berries that have dropped

from weak stems, I see this

method isn’t working

and if I reach any farther

I’ll become both falcon and pigeon

one plunging to the ground

from poor judgment

the other too surprised or stupid

to get out of the way