Berries Will Turn Red

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for warm mug in hand,
steam rising,
tea sweet with creamer.

Blessed are You
for Phrank—the cat—
purring on my lap,
face pinched with old age;
for leaves edged thinly with brown,
hinting at Autumn;
for the last bucket
of grapes from the vine,
complete with spiders,
ladybugs, and earwigs.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for tiny green berries
hidden in green leaves
surrounding our porch.
The berries will turn red,
the leaves will flame with color
and I will cut
a handful of branches
and put them in a vase
and say, Thank You for this,
for life.