Notitia

Each leaf,                                                   
each blade of grass
vies for attention.

Even weeds
carry tiny blossoms
to astonish us.
-  Marianne Poloskey

Poloskey's poem comes to me untitled. I evoke the idea of notitia, of the soul's careful attention to things. This week clumps of pale purple Mojave Asters began springing up everywhere, a nice contrast to the dark purple Phacelia with it's ruffled leaves and the multitude of yellow flowers of all sorts (including the prickly fiddleneck which can be a bit obnoxious). I was rewarded on Monday morning, after several walks past the one desert tortoise den in our little valley that I knew had to be occupied, with the sight of a pair of tortoises mating. Right on endangered species. I kept a respectful distance but they seemed intent on what they were doing. A pair of house finches set up housekeeping under the eaves. Every morning we see crows flying by, low, with what looks like nest material in their beaks.

To say that spring is the time when life stirs, the world wakes up and flowers bloom can be a cliche. But it doesn't feel that way when I see specific creatures in the act. Happy spring.