It was a long trip west.
Relinquishing November’s preparations for winter.
To rediscover late summer’s vitality.
Birds of paradise in profusion.
Succulents, cacti.
Sea lavender, brittlebush blooms.
Palms everywhere.
What natural luxury.
For three grand brothers.
Five, three, one.
Energetic as waves.
Warm as sunshine.
Sweet as passion fruit.
Sturdy as olive trees.
Bouncing, jumping, tumbling.
Squatting, skipping, hopping.
On, around, on top of each other.
And us.
Balls of gusto, zest.
Like all of us once were.
With no effort and no straining.
If only we could keep on flourishing
without practice and retraining.
Lynn Benjamin
November 13, 2023
