Eastern winds

Still,
the wind blows
and
still,
the young trees stand,
flexible and bending
in the wind.
The old trees have
weathered this storm
before and can take it.
Funny that we don't all
snap.

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Daffodils

The first daffodils
show up by the
propane tank
and the roses that
need to be pruned.
Good.
There is still hope.

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Eucalyptus

Austere allelopathic Australian army
soldiering on
littering pods and leaves
so nothing else can stand.
A windbreak for
the parsley and celery and cilantro
standing in the wind
and watching the cars go.

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The cactus on the corner

Who knows but that the
neighbors are on to
something, keeping a cactus
on the corner next to the
irrigation pipe and
the orange trees.
Keep away the bunnies
and the coyotes
and the
Bardsdale dogs.

Jacarandas

And all at once the trees are purple and
joy reigns and the
sidewalks are purple
and then it goes away
until the next month and then
again all at once
more trees are purple and
joy reigns and the
sidewalks are purple again too
and then it fades to green.

Pruning

The big machine of death
comes by tall and steady
with chainsaws as arms
and terror wheels to move.
It cuts the branches and trees
into highway lanes
so you can drive fast down
them and not notice that
it is mechanized.
The sunlight can reach the
fruit and the farmer can make
more money,
maybe.
But the mechanized death machine
passes by my house, loudly,
but doesn't touch
me.

Volunteer Palms

The little
baby
palm trees
just
decide
to sprout
in the sand
and
there
they
are.
You don't have to go to the store.
Just look in the
ditch in
your
own
backyard
and
there
they
are.