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| The Mimosas on Al Wasl Road |
I drive by these eight flaming trees every day. One is on Jumeirah Beach Road (in front of the Enoc petrol station) and the seven others are on Al Wasl Road (just before Park and Shop). They look so lonely and out of place in Dubai's desert heat that I have adopted them as my own -- if that's allowed!
I say lonely, because I haven't spotted any others like them yet; out of place because they are Mimosa trees, and very characteristic of the Mediterranean and the French Riviera (where they were imported from Australia by non other than Captain James Cook in the 18th century).
You can take me away from the Mediterranean, but you can't take the Mediterranean away from me. There is something magical about the Med -- its people, food, fauna, flora... And Mimosa trees are part of that luminous magic. They spring at you with their golden blossoms, evoking a thousand suns. And if there's a breeze, you can only fall under the spell of the Mimosa's sweet and delicate scent.
If you spot "my" Mimosas next time you're driving down Beach Road or Al Wasel, give them a little honk and let me know what you think.
This week's Haiku is dedicated to:
My Mimosas
Lonely in the heat
Fluffy golden blossoms flame...
A Mimosa route.
