Sorely Tempted
By Janis Kunz, East Sierra Branch
That wasn’t done here; she kept forgetting she was in a different state
She walked a 66-acre arboretum worth any praise you can sing
Saw squirrels – in the flesh, not on TV! Pretty birds with unfamiliar calls
Land with cattle – midtown! Rolling neighborhoods built of countless and countless bricks
She saw adorable children’s theatre
And longed to be a volunteer on these colorful shows
She ate delicious foods from various culinary heritages
At each place, she’d say “hi” and they’d all drawl “Where ya from?”
How did they always know she wasn’t from around these parts?
But of course, she spoke with a West Coast accent she couldn’t hear.
She took photos of things that made her smile
The vintage costume shop, with thousands of pieces, each aisle a different era
A cute duck pond and gazebo, a selfie on the Shakespeare statue bench…. And squirrels.
Rain poured from skies visually widened by no mountains on the horizon
The smell of wet dirt but not of creosote – so strange!
She thought guiltily of the blistering, smoke-tinged skies back home in Ridgecrest
Ridgecrest. A town painted with browns and browns
Like a sepia memory in this verdant panoply
A home, calling mournfully in the distance
She visited aunt and uncle (another round of warm hugs!)
He showed off the tiny books he was making to teach children to read in other languages
Family heirlooms were viewed and photos were unearthed for taking back home
She voiced some restless thoughts, unstuck by recent events.
They spoke of moving out to Texas and all the opportunities there were.
She listened with mental gears a-stirred and spinning.
Could this Cali girl become a cowgirl?
She was so sorely tempted, for many reasons….
But maybe in the future, when the time is right
After finishing her degree and internship
And securing her ideas more securely
And saying goodbye to a few people and things
Right now, it was time to absorb the pleasures of exploring a place away
Tuck in the back of her mind possibilities for future contemplation
And dream instead of returning to her siblings and theatre family,
and the only place she’d ever called home in all the years she’d lived.