Certain succulents are a lot like flowers, at least in their apparent structure. Their petals grow and open, and besides green they often have vivid displays of color. I can’t remember seeing so many succulents since I began walking to the store every day. Of course, there are many kinds and only a few are flowerlike, but they tend to be quite impressive. It’s hard to pass this one without slowing down a bit. The eye is caught by it.

Part of me wants to take a duster with me, something to flick away the particles of dirt and dust. I think it’s the part of me that wants to make things artificial and perfect. But these are growing in the dirt, in wind and in rain. The imperfections are part of their inherent perfection. It takes time to attune oneself to this.

These are not plastic, they are temporary growths, though temporary in the sense of years rather than days. They come and go, but they take their time. There are hundreds of succulents in manicured and un-manicured yards on my short walk. Perhaps they like the weather here, the moist marine layer, the infrequent sun. Or perhaps they simply require no maintenance. They seem to be everywhere.