Life Passes

Today I was encouraged by several factor to visit a lovely green space -- the meditation garden at Florida Southwestern College. This is a place I used to come to a lot, but over the last few years it fell off my radar.

Not anymore!

I arrived at about 7:30 and it was still fairly cool.  I found a shady spot by an unusual tree (one I spent an hour trying to identify when I got home with no luck), but where I could see the fountain.  I was the only one there, save some workers in bright green shirts who were getting ready to do some kind of work on the building behind me. But they didn't bother me at all.

It has been a long time since I just sat and focused on my breath.  I set a timer and sat. Observed. Listened.

When 20 minutes was up, I read the David Whyte poem "Up On the Hill's Back."  The line "life passes" stood out to me, so I started my poem there.

Life passes
The mockingbird and the mourning doves
The workers on the job
The lizard skittering in the mulch
The seed pods hanging like chandeliers
        from the tree that accompanies me
The huge burgundy and gold flowers that fall.

Life passes
I watch the breeze gently sway the palm fronds
I listen to the water, the voices, the silence
Shadows and light. My breath.
Purples, pinks, yellows, and ever-present green
The towering Southern Magnolia Tree

If anyone can identify this tree, I would love to know.
It also has long brown hanging seedpods, like 6-8 inches long.