I was a small blueberry once br in summer shade- br deep shadows of sleeping dogs, watchful of br lily ‘s leave and orchid's flower, both sandal-footed and br cold-grass frolicking, issuing to the backyard br world a summer-girl chirrup succeeded by one br toothy boast and one laugh br I was a blueberry sometimes then- br a summer dress made of me, a scarlet flower- br clothed in a blueberry-hued and seed-studded br white-dotted fabric frock, br I twirled and orbited a small place br like the same true flower in warm soil br among chastening blueberry blooms br in the small backyard. br br The blueberry and I- br black and dark green, sweetening in summer sun br laughing at the distillation of time, br at the absence of memory then.