Autumn's Stars
Ribbons of gold snake their way
along familiar watery paths.
Bursts of brilliant yellow
dot the landscape, shimmering
against blue sky
and black branches.
Autumn's Star--
the lowly cottonwood--
makes its grand exit
from the stage
retiring in a fiery blaze
only to return--meek and mild--
when the seasons change
& the arroyo
springs to life
in a grand spectacle
of roaring flood
where there was only
dust.
The lowly cottonwood
begins to bud.
-Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa, 1 November 2005
(Photo credit: Prabhu Singh Khalsa)
____________________________________
The cottonwood is a much maligned tree here in the SW. When I was growing up in Texas, they were not-so-affectionately known as "trash trees." People took the first opportunity they could to chop them down & clear them from their property. Here, they serve as a beacon in the night sky--a literal oasis in the desert. Wherever there are cottonwoods, there is water. So as reviled as they may continue to be, they serve a valuable purpose here in New Mexico.
The bonus is that they, along with the Aspens, provide a spectacular show for us in the fall.
posted by Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa @ 12:38 PM
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