Perennial

There is a calm in my neighborhood tonight that I have not felt in a long time.

I just stepped out my front door to dispose of plastics and cans, paper and kitty litter clumps. I meandered through the parking lot to the trash, wearing only yoga pants and a short-sleeved top. For the first time in months, I was not cold. The warm air caressed the skin on my arms. Arms that have been encased in woolen sweaters and winter coats for far too long.

Two ducks flew through the evening sky as the street lamps throughout the complex lit in unison. They cast a yellow glow on the parking lot.

I threw away all the trash and walked slowly back to my front door.

I looked at my little garden area and noticed growth.

"You're not supposed to be there," I thought, looking at the plants bursting through the black licorice mulch.

And they're not...I never invest in perennials. I only plant annuals; flowers which last one season.

But there they are...growing, surviving, living once more.

I came inside and shut the door with a smile.

You never know where or when you'll find the inspiration to keep moving forward, but it's always there. Be it the peace of a setting sun, the warm breeze on your skin or plants budding life where there should be none.