Picking strawberries1 min read

Photo by Natasha Skov

in the garden with you
dirt, food
tell me what I can eat
make that funny whistle
sound with a leaf
on rainy days we watch
the storm from the front door
hail, lightning
drink wine and teach me
how to play poker
after you left
you’d visit me in dreams
not anymore
but whenever the sky is clear
I’m picking strawberries with you

Joanna Cafua is a Portuguese-Filipino Canadian writer born and raised in Toronto. She holds a BA in Arts and Contemporary Studies and has mainly worked in education. She has returned to writing poetry to explore themes such as illness and identity.