Nature in My Neighborhood -- Sabina

 

I never really thought about the names of the plants I see on my way home from work. There are trees, of course, and sometimes flowers in bloom, even on a foggy winter night. Dry branches and tattered up bark held onto string lights during the holidays and left markings from years of service. Providing shade in the summer months and shedding its old leaves for the new year. The ground is still littered with green, stitching the sidewalk tiles together and remind me of the flowers that grow between its cracks. I do not know the names of these plants but I know they all tell a story. I am guessing that the red fruit, now wrinkled and soft, were once firm and juicy. Birds and other small creatures may have collected some in preparation for winter. The bugs that crawl and the bugs that fly likely shared the fruits of this bush. Many having left for the holidays, these fruits are left to come back into the earth and begin again. The single pink flower I could find likely woke up with the sun and now curls back into itself to sleep. It has been brave through the heavy rains and frozen mornings, retaining its color to begin the day anew. Birds sing me awake every morning, no matter how bleak the weather is. Animals are all around and make themselves known, especially the seagulls by the waterline. Even at night, through the heavy fog, warm colors pop. Animals and plants are not the main residents in my neighborhood. My neighborhood is filled with people, buildings, concrete, litter, statues, fences, street lights, and signs that advertise a buy-one-get-one-free deal just around the corner. Trucks and cars add to the birds in the morning and sea air rolls in with the smell of gasoline and exhaust. Restaurants and shops lure people in and the closest thing to wild animals I see are the dogs that guard our apartments and the stone goat a block away. The same plants line the streets. The same trees, the same bushes, and the same uniform look for miles. The same greens and browns don't exactly make for an interesting view. But the orange streaks hidden in the browns of the tree bark, the bright greens and white that dust the ground, and the highlights of red and pink that make a surprise appearance feel magical. At night everything is quiet. At night the colors can be seen. More vivid and peaceful with the darkness cloaking it. My neighborhood is clearer at night. The blanket of darkness makes you appreciate the nature that is all around us.