Fire Season/Planting Season

A prose poem by Ayesha Mansoor

April, here I drill. Turning the heavy clay-rich soil, I include hardware store compost bags. I encircle heirloom tomatoes, Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra, with the wire cage. The hills are still green from the rains on that side. At dusk, a coyote walks the ridge top and looks down at my illuminated window.

July. Heavy, crimson tomatoes with cracked skins lie on this side. Every night, I am here with the hose; the water beats persistently against the dust. The grass on that side is lion-colored. The brush is so dry it tears itself in the wind. The coyote is not coming down; the hill is far too loud with the sound of crickets singing in the straw.

October. From their cages on this side, I pull the dead vines. The ground around the elevated bed has shrunk. I start to wonder as I flip on the news. That approach pushes the Santa Ana wind. I feel it in the tension behind my eyes and in the static on my skin. One spark: a car's cigarette, a broken glass bottle highlighting the sun. The hill is prepared. It is constantly ready to develop into what it truly is.

January. On this end, I am mute. Seed catalogs I read at the kitchen table. The first rain has fallen on that end. A black mark from the coastal fire can be seen on the mountainside. Here, though, on our slope, a fresh green fuzz is quite visible. Tracks from the coyote are stamped into the dirt exactly where the wire fence links the wild at the perimeter of my yard. He has been pushing the limit as I slept.

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My name is Ayesha, and I am a passionate Software Engineer currently working remotely with an American company while residing in Pakistan. With a deep interest in technology, I enjoy solving complex problems and contributing to innovative projects. Outside of my professional work, I love to explore the world of creative writing, particularly content writing and crafting engaging tales. My favorite topics to write about include gardening, flowers, fairy tales, and love stories. I find joy in reading stories, as they inspire my own writing and offer a sense of connection with others. In my free time, I strive to balance my technical and creative interests, always seeking new ways to grow and improve both professionally and personally.