…at home a stranger

on sandy white beaches

warm water clear, sparkling

splashing

under the hot sun

of this small island.

in my garden,

all the flowers blooming,

no seasons to stop them.

 

this continent of dreams breaks

my vision: the ocean

is cold and dark.

in this place where the seasons change

as quickly as the tides,

i imagine these cement walls

are a new kind of tree.

there, in a nook blossoms

bird of paradise,

but city noise invades the sanctity

of this discovery.

 

i venture out of dusty

streets into the forest to find

redwood standing

tall, lavender growing

in tufts of green. i unearth

nature again,

it breathes california

into me, i breathe the caribbean

into it.