Time for a political pruning

Today, 1 September, everybody will be forgiven for saying spring has sprung, even though it may not quite reflect the true state of affairs.

To be honest, spring did not jump up at a minute past midnight this morning. It most definitely did not knock on my door with a bunch of roses in one hand and a ray of sunshine in the other. Nope, spring, as usual, managed to sneak up on us.

A month or so ago I noticed my neighbour’s peach tree blossoming in the frost. The shrubs that looked like kindling back in June somehow managed to turn into a spectacular pastel walkway surrounding me on my daily commute – like they do every year.

The grapevines I planted a year ago are slowly looking up at the sky, the green off-shoots reminiscent of sunflowers at dawn, awake, alive and ready to blossom and thrive.

Today, on spring day, the slow turning of the tide suddenly becomes palpable when we look at our diaries. We notice the dead leaves are gone, transported away by the August winds, making way for the next generation of life-giving greenery. The sun is up early, allowing the birds explore the heavens.

But it’s not just nature that resets its clock. Us mortals, do exactly the same. We start the new season with a traditional springclean. Winter clothing is boxed and wrapped, stews and soups yield to salads and fruits. Boots start their summer vacation in the closet while sandals give our toes the opportunity to play in the sun and sand.

The season of hope dawns. Today is that day. For us, hope doesn’t drop out of the sky or sprout from the ground. We must all work at it. We must prune and springclean and get rid of the old to make way for the future. Today, as we mark the start of a new season, I hope that we can also look forward to a new political season.

My wish is that the president has the courage to prune and spring-clean. If not, well, then we will have to do it for him – not on spring day, but on election day.

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