The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

My World in a Raspberry

What does a raspberry taste like?
The brightness of the winter snow on Grandma’s garden
The woodiness of the prickly canes
The earthiness of the spring soil
The greenness of the new shoots
The warmth of Grandma’s hand in mine
The rain pitter-pattering on tender stems
Our splash of delight as leaves unfurl
Our squirt of excitement at the first white blossoms
The early-morning dew on the baby fruit
Grandma’s tart words to the bunnies in the hedge: “Not for you!”
The hot summer sun beating down
And beating down
And beating down
Grandma’s sweet smile at the ripening berries
Our explosion of happiness when they’re ready to harvest

What does a raspberry taste like?
It tastes like my favourite place in the world.

About the Writer


Jennifer Thomas

Jennifer is a Canadian writer and editor. She is the co-writer of the Invisible Things zine, a collection of poems about the invisible creatures (gnomes, imps, and so on) who inhabit the world of modern kids and get into no end of mischief. Jennifer comes up with her best ideas for poems while she’s walking her dog, and as a result her dog gets lots of walks. This makes her dog very happy.