Earth Day 2021

 Pluses and Minuses

We wanted to plant our tomatoes 

early this year,

hoping for a warm March,

a slightly warmer April,

not like in Palm Springs,

where a warm April is welcomed 

and feared at once,

with the knowledge of the price paid 

for a beautiful spring being

a little something called summer.

We long ago tore out the grapes, 

not because we didn’t have faith in them,

but because we knew the raccoons would eat them first,

and they’d wake the cats in the middle of the night,

and the cats would wake us, 

and then nobody would get back to sleep.

We tore out the roses too,

since they only bloom a little 

And they make me bleed,

and require expensive feed.

We tore out the big greenery. 

The drought, don’t you know,

and we’d face a hurtful water bill,

and everything would die because 

we didn’t want to be hurt.

We left the trees planted by others,

orange and pomegranate,

tangerine, apple and figs.

They only drink a little.

We planted cacti and succulents,

and covered Epiphyllum,

and we adore them and their brief flowering,

because they’ll live forever.

We also planted stones and granite.

We have no hopes and dreams for them,

but they’re nice looking and don’t drink.

We just hope the Santa Ana’s don’t come through 

and throw sand and pebbles at our new windows.

If they do, I guess we’ll simply replace them.

The windows, I mean.

It’s just the nature of things.