
The fruit is smaller than that of the blueberry but with a fuller taste. Bilberries are darker in color, and usually appear near black with a slight shade of purple. Bilberries' fruit pulp is red or purple, heavily staining the fingers and lips of consumers eating the raw fruit.
Bilberries are extremely difficult to grow and are seldom cultivated. Fruits are mostly collected from wild plants. Bilberries can be picked by a berry-picking rake but are more susceptible to damage. Bilberries are softer and juicier than blueberries, making them difficult to transport. Because of these factors, the bilberry is only available fresh on markets and in gourmet stores.
African American women are like sweet Bilberries. Having sprung from a long line of strong stock on nutrient poor plantations. Despite this past, we are profoundly capable of producing beautiful paired or single offspring that leave our bush and become the envy of all the other berries around. We are used to being compared to blueberries. It does not bother us.
Just one taste of our dark fruit leaves no future comparisons. Our taste comes through boldly. It is not the size of the fruit but the taste of its juice!
The darker our berry the sweeter our juice. We are proud of our staining appearance. We relish in our stunning skins and the tattoos we leave on lips we meet. As African American women, yes we are hard to tame and yes harder still to cultivate, especially when we have not been properly cared for. Being a bit wild is a large part of what makes us so alluring to others. We are not afraid to show off our boldness, just as we are proud to showcase our softer side. At the end of the day, it is our juice that attracts. We are a rare find; full of sweet and satisfying treats.
We are fragile and run from destructive forces. When treated delicately, you will find us in the finest of places proudly displayed in top shelf spaces.
Dedicated to Karyn Washington, RIP brown angel 4/2014