Brambles

Late August, given heavy rain and sun
for a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
among others, red, green, hard as a knot.

Blackberry Picking, Seamus Heaney

Everything seems to be coming on much earlier than usual this year. It's normally the beginning of August before I see blackberries starting to appear, even down here in the sunny south of England. But on my way into town this morning, I stopped to look at my favourite hunting ground for brambles, just next to a local garage, and there they were - already starting to plump up with the recent rain and sun.

Give it a couple more days, then heigh-ho for the early morning harvesting.