At the End of Summer Nature Asserts
Its Prerogatives
All creatures rise
in the cool mornings
sniff the air -- smell the rising of the winds
move to yet another day of wandering
without seeming purpose
Winds blow from inland deserts
absorbing what little moisture remains --
skins parch and crack
in negation of recent monsoon flooding
Day after day air moves
bringing added heat
to an already radioactive land --
fanning the vastness with feverish
winds
Animals and humans respond
with unaccustomed restlessness
movement without purpose --
disorientation --
thoughts lost before they are formed
Water sources dry
as plants wither at mid-afternoon --
without relief
the forces we do not understand
remind that it is yet summer
in this harsh wilderness
The strong survive
one more day of blistering winds --
reach for the coolness of night
and hope
for a cool return of the sun |
