Otoño

My garden reveals its own names for the seasons. Today it tells me that fall is the time when:

the hummingbirds return to town after their summer get-away

chrysanthemums perfume the air with their pungent scent

bougainvillaea petals among the chrysanthemums

the leaves on the snowball bush blush in tones of burgundy

yellowing leaves of the apricot tree flutter to the ground

camellia branches bear swelling buds, pregnant with promise

leaves on the tomato plants recoil from the cold

turtle doves and chincoles discover something interesting in the dry weeds where a lawn once grew

the scent of wet, dry leaves evokes childhood memories

sequoia branches sway in greeting to the wily wind

and sister sun follows a more northern path

street sweeper with Chilean rake