Blueberry Adventures by Em Walling

Each memory is a blueberry clinging onto the bush.

They hang in no specific order, each one containing

a flavorful surprise. They are a random mess forming

the adventure web.

But not all adventures are sweet—or ripe. Some are less

sour than others, the occasional putrid flavor making its way

onto the palette. And some hover between the fingers,

popping as the gap closes, juices and memories staining the skin.

And the green ones, well, they stay on the bush for now.

All blueberry adventures have a beginning and a close.

---

Em Walling’s visual and written work can be found in numerous journals, plus poetry anthologies from Shabda Press, University of Hell Press, and Splintered Disorder Press. Her writing focuses on the physical, emotional, and psychological connections people have with the environment. Em graduated in 2019 with a master’s degree in rhetoric and writing, and she continues to serve on staff for Slippery Elm Literary Journal.