Reflecting On Time Spent In The Desert

The desert heat in July
is much the same as it is in May,
I've felt it in both months,
dry, stifling -- dry, and cold at night.

The desert tortoise comes out;
I've found him during the day
in the shade of a creosote bush
half in and half out of his dug burrow. 

When I was twenty-two
I didn't see the beauty 
in the sand carved monuments,
the mountain steps

draped in crimson tones, 
backlit with a setting sun --
A soldier on a rocky hillside
can stop to take a breath,

A moments rest and a blink 
to capture the scene;
a picture not viewed again
for twenty years.

Distance is false in the heatwaves
the dust from marching feet
rises like smoke from a wildfire
Men look like shimmering ghosts in the cloud
and in my memory, they fade away.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I love the way this is a nice blend of describing the desert observations with vivid word choices, while also imparting those momentary spiels of imagination that can be sparked in one's mind as we gaze & enjoy such a scene *smile* (((HUGS)))

[Papaya]

i think there's a lot of depth to this one, i comes from a very personal place - fourth verse is so good

[James]

So glad you enjoyed this one. I didn't know how else to describe it.

[Petar Oklobdzija]

A moments rest and a blink
to capture the scene;
a picture not viewed again
for twenty years.

This stanza really stood out to me for the simple reason that it reminded me of the importance of the moment. well done!

[James]

Thank you, Really glad you enjoyed this poem.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is a beautiful and vivid poem...had me humming
the Ramrods' song "Ghost Riders in the Sky"

like a desert mirage...they are there, then they are not...

it is hard to see the beauty of a landscape when war is polluting it with death...
j.

[James]

I'm glad you liked this one, Jacob. I haven't been around much, sorry for the late reply.