Blackberries by Yusef Komunyakaa

I chose to read Blackberries because I love food.  I really didn't know what to expect when reading this poem, and how it was going to relate to work.  The poem starts with the narrator's hand being covered in the berry juices, and he, assuming the narrator is a boy, compares this to the hands of a printer or a thief's, which I though was pretty clever.  The boy is obviously working, by filling his half-gallon bucket but still enjoys eating the berries with his other hand.  While eating he dreamt of better things than just those berries, he thought of all the good food that could be made with them.  While working his dog is with him is watching the birds, and he stares at the frogs hidding from the sun in whatever shade they can find.  Our narrator finds himself on a main road carrying a bucket in each hand full of blackberries, shining in the sun, and ready to be sold.  This poor little boy finds himself in a rich area trying to make some money.  He shouts one dollar over and over, hoping to make just a little money for his family.  When a car finally stops he is reminded of where he is and where he stands in the world, just a poor boy selling berries.  The children in the car smirk at him and this is when he remembers all the hard work he has been doing and also the he has such a different life from those two kids in the car.  I think my favorite line in this whole poem is "Wintertime crawled out of the windows."  This tells you that our narrator has never really experienced air conditioning because the only thing he knows to compare it to is the feeling of winter.  This poem is a very unique look at working that most people wouldn't think about.  The fact that it is about the simple work of a child really shows me that to him his work is just as hard as anyone elses work.  I hope that you take the time to read this poem and enjoy it just as i did.