Cholla Forest at the Base of Panther Peak in the Tucson Mountains — Panorama Image by kenne
Sonoran Desert
by Tara Trewinnard-Boyle
How lucky am I? I have found my home!
In the place of dust and rock where the lizards run,
Where hot winds whip and the sun sears through a lapis colored sky.
Where Saguaros march uninhibited across the arid land.
Miles and miles of emptiness: freedom.
This is the place where Mother Nature still shows her true beauty.
Wild and uncompromising, she cuts me down to my rightful size.
Teaching me to live without; demand less; appreciate more.
Silently reminding me that the race is of my own making.
I can be free.
I have found my home. Not the home I was born to but where I belong.
The ache of leaving weighs heavy in my heart.
But today I can carry with me a gift, humbly offered to all who seek.
The desert is more than a place; it is a state of mind.
It is life and death, land and sky, struggle and freedom.
Slow! Your frantic pace does not matter here.
Breathe and be grounded in your humanness.
Be still and find your small place in this vast world.
You belong, just as you are. In the silence you can find peace.
This is the gift of the desert; for which I am eternally grateful.
good for Tara . . . as for me I’m still searching.
Kenne, I’m pleased that you liked my poem enough to use it as an accompaniment to your beautiful photos. The desert clearly reveals to you what it did to me. Thank you for making the connection between words and image.
I felt the connection. Your comment is much appreciated.
I’m pleased that you have chosen my words to accompany this beautiful photo. Thank you.