The Desert Taught Me

A poem about my native land, the desert.

You taught me to live without the rain.
You taught me the wickedness of wind,
that blows thousands of burning grains of sand
into faces, clothes, and shoes.

You taught me how to appreciate the colors of the day,
from your infuriating, superior, flawless blue
to the endlessly beautiful tapestry of your sunsets.

You taught me the rattling of the angry snake,
the hum of the cicadas,
the drumbeat taptap footsteps of a lizard on the run.

You taught me the day and the night,
the merciless sun and the glorious moon,
the stars bright as candles in the sky,
white sands reflecting their light.

You taught me the smell of the mesquite,
like simulated rain, and the endless cycle
of the yucca that grows to a giant and then topples over,
compelled by its own weight to fall.

You taught me the cactus; sweet, watery fruit
hidden behind angry needles.

This poem is not completely finished, but I don't plan on finishing it anytime soon. The first line was taken from a poem whose source I will find soon, as it was written for a school assignment.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Poem is very good so far. I love the desert. Don't forget the wild life and the peace of the desert. Nothing as beautiful as a desert cactus flower. Poem had great opportunity. I look forward to the final product.
Coyote