Courtney Hubbert | + Follow Poet |
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The Dry Going By

Desert sauna—
her home but never mine 
and I don’t mind. 

In consumed dust and barren earth
lifelong rooted 
trapped in perpetual hell fire—
both night and day. 

Visible heat swirls—
116 degrees of them 
clutching and clawing my unprotected throat 
and robbing me of my limited breath.

Too many cacti
Lemmy’s overkill to my eyes,  
which are so very desperate 
for lush greenery, a cooler climate
and a modicum of civilization. 

Open air, suffocating placidity
my happiness evaporating
in the tedious buff—  
devoid of vegetation 
and obvious animal habitation. 

and all of this
the dry going by 
viewed from my passenger window 
violated by the devil’s dust. 


Contest: Open Poetry 3 Poetry Contest (placed 6th)
Sponsor: Charlotte Puddifoot
Written: April 22, 2021

Copyright © Courtney Hubbert | Year Posted 2021

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James Marshall Goff Date: 1/1/2023 6:35:00 PM Such a wonderful talent Courtney! no dry heat here in Minnesota,,,big snow storm on the way... thanks for sharing your immense talent! jamesy Login to Reply

Susan Ashley Date: 4/25/2021 7:07:00 PM Dear Courtney, I admire and adore the atmospheric imagery and the way the senses feel the heat, both the "desert sauna" and your emotional and physical reaction to it. Your last line is a grand finale to an exquisite and expressive poem. Congratulations for your excellent win in Charlotte's contest. I usually end with "Warmest wishes" but considering what you've been through, I'll end by saying, Best wishes, dear poetess :) ~Susan Login to Reply

Gary Radice Date: 4/25/2021 10:43:00 AM Great poem! Loved the atmosphere and the feeling of heat evoked through your words...And a Motörhead reference too! :) Congratulations. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 4/25/2021 12:11:00 PM :) Courtney, that's the first time I've ever been called cool in my adult life..and Mr Gary come to think of it. :) Cheers - Gary Courtney Hubbert Date: 4/25/2021 11:17:00 AM Thank you so much Mr. Gary. And the fact that you recognized the reference makes you all the more cooler in my book. Cheers...

Susan Woodrow Date: 4/25/2021 9:27:00 AM oh this was a great read cos I could relate to it the first time I went to a desert and just couldn't believe people actually lived in all the barren brown! I longed for green and will always do so but I have since learnt to appreciate what those who love openness love about it and they cannot stand the shadowy confinement of trees! :) Login to Reply Susan Woodrow Date: 4/25/2021 11:11:00 AM In August! no wonder you hated the heat lol I went in November to visit a friend and it was great ...Cholla the teddy bear cactus? I never saw so many different types in one place before and they are quite something with their own beauty too ... I'll check out that other write :) Courtney Hubbert Date: 4/25/2021 10:28:00 AM It's actually funny. I wrote this poem while my boyfriend and I were driving through Arizona in August. I wrote down all these feelings I was having and when I sat down to write the poem, I realized that I had written about the beauty of the desert and my hatred for the heat. I decided to divide my notes into two poems. They became this one and "Cholla's Legacy."

Charlotte Puddifoot Date: 4/25/2021 5:07:00 AM i loved this one from the first reading of it - really felt that searing heat! good modernistic phrasing with not a wasted word, and great closure to the poem - congrats on your win in my contest! Login to Reply Courtney Hubbert Date: 4/25/2021 10:26:00 AM Thank you again so much. I really appreciate the compliments. I look forward to future contests from you.