seasonal changes | Jinny's Occasional Poems

In my small corner of southern California
Autumn is rarely aflame in bright colors
(Unless there are wildfires).

The sycamores lining our street fade to sickly yellow,
Then gradually drop brown, crunchy leaves.
Many of the other trees stay a dull green.

So I’m heartened that our landscapers
Have chosen not to trim the bushes
Around our front walkway, not just yet.

Instead, they’ve left untouched the orange
Blooms that erupt on unruly spikes,
Beloved of area hummingbirds and bees.

Later, when the rains come (if they come)
Trimming will again recreate the squared shapes
That let us imagine a well-ordered world.

Elsewhere, in the canyons, bushes that
Conserved their energy during the longest
Days now pulse with pale blue flowers.

Learning the seasons of each different place
Requires patience, and a willingness to
Renew our wonder at this varied, vibrant planet.

Easter morning, fog gradually dissipating.
Soil gradually drying after a
Cooler, wetter March than is
Typical for this part of the world,
I’m told.

My second gardening year here.
Multiple seasonal harvests are possible
When there’s enough moisture for irrigation.

Just ending, a Lent of voluntarily cutting back—
No meat, more vegetable protein,
More varied vegetables as well.
Soups and stews that matched the
Atypically chilly weather.

Now, a seasonal transition—more sun,
Fewer storms, more widely spaced.
Time to put in tomato seedlings, maybe.
Time to consider what other warm season veggies
Might put down roots in this nearly-new-to-me place.

After a cool season of media vitriol
And exaggerated claims of victimhood
And crisis, a relieved exhale at fuller reservoirs–
Short-term apocalypse averted.

Whether we are transnational or transgender,
Whether we’ve moved cross-country or across the street,
Be we behaviorally inclined toward transactional, transitional,
Or translational interactions, we each have seasons
Of feeling transplanted, not quite fitting.

Then we remember, sometimes belatedly, the redemptive
Character of this resurrectional season.

Tag Archives: seasonal changes

Different Fall Colors

Bloom Where You Are (Trans)Planted