Opinion : Raspberries after the rain

One of the surprises I have discovered living in the rural areas of northern Benton County are the wild raspberries that grow each June.

I do not have the same green thumb my grandfather and father had. I can barely make anything grow.

But with the raspberries, all I have to do is pick them once a year. I can handle that.

The ones that grow on our farm are best when eaten fresh, right after being plucked from the vine. My son's mother-in-law used some for a pie once (very good). I tried them in ice cream (not so good). But mostly I just eat them fresh for a few weeks in late spring or early summer.

A few years ago, while walking among the raspberries the day after an intense thunderstorm, these words came to me.

Raspberries after the rain Life ain’t always funny When the sky turns unsunny And the blue up above Turns to black The wind and the lightning Can be utterly frightening As the water Leaves its muddy tracks But when windows do rattle As rain drenches the cattle And your little kids Jump in your bed An outdoor phenomenon Keeps right on growing on Offering more proof that God is not dead While most creatures cower From the cold falling showers Below the tops of the trees The water that splattered Finds a purpose that matters And gently soaks into ripened raspberries When the rain goes away And you see the sun’s rays Follow me to the edge of the woods You will see what I mean When you look at the green And the purple that says, “It’s all good.” Even before the rain fell It was easy to tell Which of the berries were ready for eating Deep and purple and shiny Not quite huge but not tiny Are the ones most deliciously treating I still don’t know yet What makes them look wet Even days after we see rain retreating But when fresh rain begins And that moisture soaks in It in spires this poetic drumbeating And yet, you must know That you really must go To the wild to learn this yourself Because berries this fresh And rain-softened and wet Cannot be found on some store shelf While these berries are real I can’t help but feel They’ve been put here to teach me a lesson While the taste is divine They do also remind Me what to think when I don’t feel life blessings On days when I’m grumpy Or feeling down in the dump-y There’s a place where I find relief And while I savor the berries My worries are carried Somewhere far beyond human belief And if I were you I’d do what I do And find a place there all alone Though your fingers may stain You will be glad you came And you will leave urging others to come On some days, no doubt, You’d love to say to some lout Something that rhymes with “above it’ But if you can just steal away You find a raspberry a day Can turn a bad day into one that’s beloved So the next time it rains Or you’re feeling some pains From a world ever more loud and crowded Find a hill with a vine And spend some quality time It will change your view, no doubt about it