In The Desert

Quiet Sands

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