Gila Monster — Image by kenne
The Gila monster is a species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States
and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora.
trespasser
I walk, head down, careful footing as I
study the terrain, the way the shadow
from the mountains cover the valley floor
the dry wash beds, marked with
wildlife tracks, deep and desiccated
no monsoon to wash them away
no relief, no rain to fill these
empty washes, to water this
wilderness that lies dry, parched
the cloudless sky above hides nothing
except for the desert creatures
absent in the heat of the day
as I retrace my path, I step around a gila monster
sunning himself on a rock, his rock
reminding me where I am I am
a trespasser; this is all their’s
and their tracks and presence remind me
step carefully, move slowly, retreat
— Jo Bien
