Summer is the first and one of the main seasons among the six seasons of the twelve Bangla months. Its blazing sun and southern breeze stir our lives. Boishakh and Jyoishtho together make up the summer, when many changes can be seen in nature in trees, flowers and fruit. Now and then the sky clouds over and rain falls on the earth, and new green leaves sprout on the branches.

It is so beautiful to look at, a sight that easily soothes the eyes. The strong sun also starts ripening the fruit on the trees. Mango, jam (black plum), litchi and jackfruit are the best known, and many other fruits ripen in summer too, such as watermelon, pineapple, palmyra, papaya and bel (wood apple).

Although the cuckoo is seen most in spring, some cuckoos are also seen in Boishakh, and their calls wake us. And although on paper spring is the king of seasons, summer can really be called the season of the flower festival. The frenzy of bright colours on tree after tree in this season is almost absent in other seasons.

The colours of summer's flowering avenues are so appealing that it is impossible to look away. First place in summer's list of flowers goes to the krishnachura. Its colour is so intense that it can be seen from far away. Another flower that can be seen from a similar distance is the shimul, but the krishnachura is even more attractive.

Besides the krishnachura and shimul, many other flowers are seen in summer. Among the notable ones are jarul, zinnia, arjun, ipil, konokchura, koronja, kamini, cajuput, gab, jacaranda, telsur, debdaru, nagkeshar, nageshwar, neem, parashpipul, palakjui, padauk, parul, palam, bonasra, barun, baobab, beria, makrishal, minjiri, muchkunda, mahogany, raktan, sonalu and swarnachampa.

The scent of fruit and flowers in this season fills our lives with joy, and nature's great abundance surrounds us. It is as if nature brings new life at the very start of the year. The variety of our diverse seasons keeps growing, and we are proud of this joyful, bountiful nature.

The writer, Abdullah Nazim Al Mamun, is a poet and feature writer.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.