nature’s 1 year rule

the wildlife
out here in the desert
is crazy
this is our second summer here
and the first year
we didn’t see a whole lot
we would see one thing
and that would be the talk
of the day
now
we see shit all the time
all day long
last year we had one
desert iguana
now we have close to 10
maybe more
we didn’t see a single ground squirrel
last year
and now there are more
than we can count
last year
a bird would come by
then take right off
now
we have a family of
black throated sparrows
that are around all day
there are bunnies living
under the trailer
jackrabbits come inside the gate
and eat the dead brush
roadrunners even come in
to drink out of our pool
at night
when we sit down for dinner
we watch
about 6 burrowing owls
hunting for their dinner

they say
that after about a year
nature accepts you
before that they know you’re there
but are cautious of you
after a year
you’re part of the landscape
your existence there
is accepted

I wonder if this works
with all forms of nature?
does this work with humans?
I remember living in an apartment
in North Hollywood
I lived there a year
before I became friends with
any of the neighbors
maybe there is some truth in this

maybe it takes
a year of knowing someone is around
before you can begin to accept them

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