Walk anywhere in Santa Monica, and you’ll be amazed.
Gnarled eucalyptus, soaring palms, citrus, fig trees.
Rosemary, lavender hedges.
The city bursts with vitality.
Bouncing down the street, I stopped short.
Hearing buzzing, humming.
From a grove of salvia plants.
Thick, lush, with blooms, velvet to the touch.
I detected motion.
In rhythm with vibrations.
Expecting bees, I stepped closer.
Instead, a dozen hummingbirds!
Wings beating air.
Tiny paddles rotating wildly.
So many, they didn’t flee when I approached.
Continued sucking nectar.
Hovering, moving sideways.
Sipping, lifting.
Luminescent bursts of blue, yellow, green, brown.
Peeking through purple fields.
Animation without artist.
No frames, technology.
Nature at her boldest.
You get just what you see.
Lynn Benjamin
November 17, 2023
