IN THE SAN JOAQUIN

The warm tropical winds have finally
pushed a high pressure system
over the valley and suddenly
the idleness of February and March
shatter into telegraph rain

Weeding, spraying, planting, tying and suckering,
irrigating, tractoring under the ghost of the Great Bear
awakening
bumping his head
in the dark cave of stars
And each moring
through his transcendental cave
pokes the eyes of the Sun
woken earlier
on the gossip of birds
sitting in the black/blue
notes or a morning prayer

North coming
the sweetness of orange blossoms
cool evenings and summer mornings