In the Desert

In the desert skies turn silent on the evening red Sun continues drifting down the dunes to set Burnt brown over quick sands sinking Camels find a footing that is not there Slip on the soft sand measured While they tread on to Casablanca A distance from the stars Sure not to wake the dead As soundless as they are From below the surface a lizard's head pops out Emerges from daytime sleep Shakes off unwanted debris To take its place among the living There must be a bug or two about Sage fragrance drifts in from the sea as sweet Where thousands of miles separates dry land Orchids too can not be seeded easily Remembered only by the senses delicate aroma With no chance to bloom out there Sands, quick to sink, settle below the surface Discover warmth uncovered in the moment Brought back to life by winds blowing north To fly like spirits, to split the air with sounds Then come back down to quiet once again Climb on the back of a camel moving Each step it makes gets closer to the end A mirage not taken lightly Dunes speak, join with the past to be no more Carried on the winds eternal sleep On conversations about heat Talk about the sun being lost in the sky Seen through travelers sore eyes Long gone, stars fall, far from the desert Not far from here together