Death Valley
The wind howls across the spine of shale and abraded
rock ridgelines where Sentinels stand tall in the twilight,
Gods watching the story of the desert night unfold.
I reach out and touch the lovingly placed stone
whose countenance reminds me of home fires,
moonlit snow crunching beneath my beloved's footstep.
Am I too safe, too protected in the womb of this slumbering
mountain? Who am I? Bared bones, desert dry skin, with wild hair, blue dress dancing, voice lifted in song:
Sister Wind, Brother Stone...marry me home...
Reeling starlight peeks through the crevice doorway straight
into my broken heart. It shines coolly down on the desert washes
where hours ago I wandered in the blazing sun collecting
fossils and dreaming of discovering the crescent moon
curve of the magnificent Big Horn sheep, fallen among the
shattered rocks, creosote scrub and red fruited desert holly.
so beautiful Laura!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem and the lovely picture of the desert and the sky !
ReplyDeleteIt feels like a calling to nature, ancestors (the bones)...the experience of the wildness (wild hair), even though scary.
A blessing to have experienced it.
Thank you very much for sharing it, Laura.
I remember when in my early 20´s always wanting to spend a night (or more) outside in the nature (while traveling, hitch-hiking). Nobody wanted to go with me, there was no time...but I made 2 nights withing two years anyway. I found even some people to go with me.
The one night it was heavily raining, I lied in the sleeping back in water, I needed to end it up sooner and walk. The another night (another year) I woke up in the morning in the trash (in the dark in the night one did not see it). It was actually a very, very beautiful morning.
Then I got sick and any traveling that way stopped to be an options.
Much love, Kristina
Hi Kristina, thank you for sharing your experience. Sounds like quite an adventure! I hope there are other adventures in your future to explore the world in a way that feeds your soul. xo L
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