gluttony

white light blazes down
from a sky of purest hottest blue,
drawing out sweat
that tickles, trickles,
slicking skin
and stinging scratches,
cooling at the touch of the breeze
that brings
scent of eucalypt
scent of pine
twining them through the clearing
like curls of invisible ink

tiny brown birds
feathered balls of indignation
chitter and twitter
in futile wrath
as their thorny larder is raided –
blackberries so ripe they fall at a touch,
all soft plump sweetness
sunshine and heat
transformed to sweet musky darkness

hands and mouths stained purple
like a mark of sin –
of covetousness
of theft
and of gluttony,
oh, such gluttony,
gluttony tainted with lust by the dark and musky juices

pick and eat,
pick and eat,
again and again and again,
despite the stinging scratches
despite the protests of the small birds,
despite, even, satiation

until a rustle below
and a glimpse of brown-snake
slender, shiny-scaled
sliding through tussock
slipping under the brambles
sets hearts thumping
and sends us scurrying