Blackberries and honey
Tempting sweetness
Flavour-full in every part
New and rich and transient
Deep dark purple berries

In amongst the undergrowth
Sometimes hidden away
The berry ripens, swells
And offers its very self
For transformation and growth

In the deep dark hidden places within
Lies such sweetness
That if we dare search for it
The finding is so sweet
As to be almost unbearable

In the liquid sunshine summertime
The toil of many tiny lives
Brings fruitfulness to the community
Of buzzing brown and gold
In liquid molten honey

Prayerfully held in community
Is the common life of sharing
A sweetness that no one alone
Can hope to bring
In such profusion

And yet the bramble bears a thorn
And the bee a sting
If fear of them holds us back
We may never taste the delights,
The transformation they bring.

© Diane Coleman 2005