my eyes are not prepared for the beauty they are surveying
the desert sun glares… early morning yet intense
the sun licks every pore of my exposed body
i pause at the peak of the mountain
my hard tan legs are spread firmly anchored in terra firma
while my head swings back and forth absorbing the vista
i am allowed to experience
the desert floor and valleys as far as my eyes can observe
speechless I fill my lungs with the sweet pinion scented air
the deserts fragrance explodes in my brain with each breath
the flow of blood surges through my veins pumping, pumping
rushing rich fluid to my beating heart
it was not the drums of some ancient native skins that called out to me
from the base of the sharply sloping hillside
but the pounding of my own heart!
the hot desert air blows dry the rivulets of sweat
that trickle down the hard brawn of my chest
my tense muscles are throbbing with the strain of climbing the crumbling slope
yet i can feel pleasure in my body for the first time in months
the workout is like worshiping at the temple of my strength
proud of the blood flowing through my arteries and veins
the tingling of my skin as the sun caresses away the tension of the past year
like a lover, it soothes the skin and eases
the sinew below to relax and release the tautness
at the summit, i absorb everything around me and i shout out loud
"i am alive, and i am here!"
free from the confines of a world rapidly becoming too crowded, too small
the wind blows past my ears, a hot and sensual breeze
as i turn and view the slope i had just ascended
what is this the wind is trying to tell me, what do i hear?
in its soft movement, voices whispers at once harsh and raspy
all i can see from the summit is the trail i hiked upon, not a person for miles
the voices are more persistent yet so subtle mingled with the blowing air
i squint my eyes and shield them from the brilliant sun as i peer down
all i see are the saguaro cactus scattered about in the deeply terraced valley
they stand like ancient sentinels watching forever the land they call home
so human they reach up and out towards the sun and sky
is this who is calling out to me? the dispersed saguaro?
“ come! join us we are lonely for your company.” they reached out to touch me as I passed them on my assent
gently brushing against an arm or leg
“ welcome! they shout stay as long as you wish, but don’t take anything and don’t leave anything.”
their ancient voices whisper a sweet reality of the continuation
that this place will always be a refuge from the intensity of the crowded flat plains
they speak of magic to be at one with the hills and rocks
they tell me stories of night skies filled with shooting stars
comets with tails that brighten the dark skies
abundant animal life that pesters and annoys them, owls that peck out nesting holes in their soft shells, the many other birds that fly in and amongst them
the scurrying of mice up and down their solid bases
and all the larger animals the wild boar, the coyote, the mountain lion
listening with wild abandon as they tell the tales
of the natives that once called the desert home
they purr with the longing of air untainted before the arrival of man
so pure it was like a tonic so rich and aromatic
"but the air here is so far removed from any man, it smells like heaven to me."
they laugh and call me child, silly one, and rapidly grow tired of my foolishness
they release me to move on, the visit was long enough
thanking them for their marvelous gift and they laugh once again
it was their gift to speak with a man who heard their call
i bid my large spired friends a hearty goodbye as i continue down the mountainside
my spirit is awakened in such a magical place
did i just converse with a few saguaro cacti? did i?
to think i've traveled two thousand miles to reach this desolate mountain
i am not a man who seeks nature
respecting the wilderness, it fills me with awe, yet at the same time frightens me
never before have i been driven to leave the safety of my chair
here the desert calls me home!
until now i imagined the desert as a foreboding place, vast, dead and dangerous
the life that surrounds me is incredible, the abundant growth
houses multitudes of living things
lizards scoot past on missions they choose not to share
tortoise ambled by on the flatlands
wasting little moisture on a slow and deliberate course
birds of all description, owls, hawks, quail, doves
flutter in and among the spires of saguaro
delicate snakes are not hidden from the oppressive sun, baking on rocks no doubt
but they leave many clues of their existence, their homes loom dark and deep
the swirling patterns as they slither to the next appointment
insects buzz my ears and tell me they are not impressed by the panoramic views they lie!
alone yet far from lonely
the hush of the desert sounds as it fills the air
with the deafening din of unimaginable silence, filled with noise
a shadow crosses my face in the brief second the cold gray that i feel
sends a chill down my spine
the dark figure of a vulture circling overhead
at once i am reminded that this is a perilous place
one not to be taken for granted, this is no ideal eden safe from harm
this is a dangerous locale, to be respected and to be loved
abundant with life and also plays the game of survival
with that the reality of death
passing many bones of the loser’s in the game
but the deaths are purposeful, not wanton acts of violence
the coyote hunts the rabbit not for the pleasure of watching it die
but for the relief that now it’s own young will not have to suffer the hunger of yesterday, when the rabbit won the game
all the desert gives is carefully rationed, nothing can afford to be wasted
this ecosystem so well designed it doesn’t invite man often
to share its beauty, or judge its harshness
but when it does invite, oh lucky man who shares the spirit and the magic
in such a holy place
enjoy it while you can, the invitation is not easily given
once granted it is far too short a stay
back to the east i must go and leave this magical and awe-inspiring place
my new found love from my deckchair on my patio, the view is nothing like the land i left behind
beautiful in its own right, green lush with foliage
the wind gently stirs the magnificent oaks, enormous tulip trees, maples
that surround the place I call home
their leaves shimmer in the sunlight
rustle amongst each other in the soft breeze
the mysteries they speak of, are tinged with the subtle conservative new england accent they have acquired over the years
when they speak it is only to each other
unaware that i can hear their conversations
no whining about the past they are too conservative
they speak of the coming changing seasons
harsh weather they will be exposed to and just who will suffer the most
from the winds, snow and ice storms that blow in from the sea
they laugh as the birds soar in and among their large branches, tickling them
they cannot speak in the harsh heated passion of the saguaro
with its seductive calls, distinct personality and all too human shape it assumes
i vow i will return to the mystical desert
once again to connect with the life that abounds there and the peace that fills me
longing to enjoy the magic and the mystery of the formidable landscape of the Sonoran desert
tony scarpa
Makes one want to visit the desert NOW!!