In a Desert Rain



In the stifling summer,
Heat waves obtund my senses;
Sweet pearls of sweat
Deprive my flesh of dryness.
Baked sand ruthlessly slows my sinking steps.

Phenomena here
Rarely appear through the year –
Only in my dreams.
These endless waves quench no thirst,
For grains of grit comprise this vast seaway.

Blind, I stumble on,
Deadly dangers a hindrance
To my persistence.
Yet, my endurance runs on,
And far ahead I glimpse a flame of hope.

With a cutting clap,
Nebulous skies roll closer.
Relief fills my mind,
And dampness climbs my dry nares.
A rain of pleasure will soon be announced.

Umbrae dance across
The undulations of sand.
Dark clouds race to cloak
The savage words of the sun;
A loving voice whispers to my senses.

Authoritative,
The sun reluctantly hides
Behind the dark clouds.
Imbuing the land around,
A massive deluge of warm moisture falls.

My eyes glance upward,
My mouth opens in wonder;
A droplet falls down
And lands in my open eye:
A symbol of the peers who rate my soul.

Like a blue, full moon,
A rara avis is scarce.
I am now baptized
By a heavy downpour of
Inconceivable applause and rainbows.

In a desert rain.



Don L. Waddell, 1988