Wonder

'Twas naught but dessert

and sea of sand.

Rolling waves

and yet dry land.

Amidst- our girl

and her prize:

the land she sought to see

with her own two eyes.

She wandered hard,

day and night,

to keep out the dessert sun's

burning eye sight.

But directionless

she wandered for

she did not know

what she was looking for.

One day she saw

in the setting sun

a caravan pulled

across a dessert run.

She walked up fast-

her heart skipped a beat.

For she did not know

whom she would meet.

The man before her-

not so tall he stood.

A brown spot on his upper lip

told nothing, as it should.

The man smiled at her,

a toothless grin.

He opened his mouth and said

"Its an awfully hot day to be in."

The girl broke down-

let out a cry.

"Dear man, I fear-

In this dessert I will die!

I seek a city

made of gold and thunder.

I have never laid eyes on it

but my goal is the city of Wonder."

His eyes were downcast.

He thought with a sigh:

Wonder isn't an easy place to find.

But, what I wonder is- why?

He asked the girl,

but she wouldn't budge.

Directions and nothing else!

Of the safety; she would be the judge.

The man pointed

to the setting sun.

"Wonder lies westward."

And done was done.

She thanked the man

and went on her way.

Thinking to herself

that she would reach Wonder that day.

But as night fell.

so very, very fast

she realized:

tonight would be her last

if she did not find

a place to stay.

She would find wonder

on another day.

She laid her eyes

upon a cave.

Her last effort;

to reach it she gave.

She crawled through the mouth

and started a fire.

And as she thought

she stared at the pyre.

When fire was gone,

and light had died,

the poor girl lay there

and cried, and cried.

No hope was left.

The city, she would never see.

And as a result

home, she would never be.

For years ago;

when this girl was born,

from her homeland

she was cruelly torn. 

She knew one thing

of the home she had lost:

that she would reach Wonder

no matter the cost.

So as first light came

across the dessert sky

she lifted her head-

made her last try.

She walked and walked

through the dessert she traveled.

Until at last

her mind had unraveled.

She saw before her

what she took for a mirage.

A sea of trees and life

stared back at her visage.

'Twas not long before

she realized

that mirage was oasis-

a thing to be prized.

She ran down to the pool-

heart beating so fast.

She drank from the water.

She felt better at long last.

She heard a throat clear.

It took her by surprise.

When she looked up

she met someone's eyes.

A young boy stood-

No older than twelve.

Into his past life

we'd best not delve.

He asked her what

had bought her here.

After a thought,

she responded without fear.

"I came from so far

looking for something dear.

A city made of gold,

my heart tells me it is near."

The boy sighed

a sigh so heavy.

He pointed into the pool

The girl didn't get it.

Was he a fool?

She looked too

and saw the town.

A city reflected in the waves,

but above there was no city left to be found.

Reviews

[just Penny]

I really enjoyed your writing and was hooked in from the start. It reminded me of the human never-ending search for something more than what is seen and known. The determination to seek and find comes through clearly. (Check the final line as I think there's a typo. An entertaining read, thanks :) Penny

[William Coad]

Thank you, I really appreciate it. Any you're right. There was a typo, but hopefully it will be purged before anyone else sees it. (Evil laugh)