October 11, 2012

Honey worked in the yard yesterday, and the piles of leaves are gone, the grass almost bare now, dry and patchy, faded and almost invisible.  There is more light, as the crepe myrtle continues to send its leaves down, but slowing, still plenty of leaves, but more spaces now.  The little row of maple trees and chaste trees in the wooden boxes on the back porch continue to thrive, an all volunteer forest.  If the police ever looked into this yard, they could mistake the baby chaste trees for marijuana, the leaves are very similar, but the chaste tree leaves have smooth edges and smell like some heady mint.  That tree was supposed to be a shrub, decorative with long stems of tiny purple flowers, and now dropping hard round black seeds everywhere, that crunch when you walk on them.  I guess it hit a sweet spot and likes that space as its twin died years ago, after living its allotted 5 or 6 years.  A Methuselah, this one seems like it will go on forever, though it is getting a little thin in the branches now.  I have always loved how it smelled in the heat of the summer, sending its sweet strong perfume out in a cloud.  Soon its leaves will yellow and fall and all the thin complex twigs of it will be bare until spring.

The little magnolia tree that sprouted up along the fence has had a growth spurt.  I was not sure it was going to establish itself.  I did not know they could grow up as volunteers but this one has been there several years now, slowly growing, until this year it might actually be flourishing instead of just existing.  Mikayla wanted a magnolia but by the time she expressed this desire, the yard had its full compliment of trees.  I don't know if this one, so close to the fence will make it but it's interesting to watch.  It seems to be putting out new fans of leaves now, just before fall.  In this climate magnolias usually have leaves all year around.  I think this one is a sweet bay magnolia whose leaves are longer and thinner than the one that makes the huge flowers. The lugustrum bush, old and gnarled and well past making many leaves may have to be cut so the tree can survive.  My husband will probably faint if I ask him to actually cut something down!

The Yard

The tip of the cane flower
has caught the sun
and will not let it go
so it can shine in the wind
flashing a signal of seed
over and over

The magnolia sprouts
new fans of leaves
long fingers of green spring
in the glove of fall
settling in new growth
for a mild winter

Across the driveway
the chaste tree drops
its black rounds of seed
pushed into scallops
and eddies by the breeze
mockingbirds chase them

Jays rival crows
screaming in the trees
their cries clouding
the brightness of air
squirrels join in with
their own eerie anger

Noon pierces down
shortening shadows
penetrating
the loosening leaves
silence takes a moment
in the sun.

S. Crowson

I have noticed before that by noon things can be really quiet in contrast to all the noise of the earlier morning.  A lot of times even the wind will die down for a short time right as the sun rises to its highest point and there will be a space of silence, where even planes don't roar overhead.  Later, things will pick up, more cars, more planes, and by evening the air is again noisy as the morning, the birds making a last run for food or water, competing with the squirrels who are not shy about their complaints.  For the moment though, it's quiet and filled with light and my coffee is long since cold.  Routine tasks have designs on my afternoon, and work for school as well.  Hope your day is a good one, bright and quiet and sunny!