A Desert Walk Poem by Kayanja Ronald Edwin

Head low, shoulders down
Dragging feet in the hot sand
A whooshing sound, distant

Coughs and stumbles,
Not losing his feet,
Panting and sweating

Stands, arms on the hips
A shadow, circling around
Looks up to the sky, an eagle

Burning light pain,
In his eyes, itchy,
Sweat and excessive brightness

Looks down, a lone desert lily,
A black widow spider, webbing
And what will it trap?

Stares straight, oh! A dragon fly
Isn't it beautiful?
Swirling about in the air

A whooshing sound, again
Rumbling, louder and closing in
Turns back, a sandstorm

Suddenly, feeling strong,
Eyes quick through the vast openness
A distant tree, finally!

Water, wait, the storm
Starting out with fast strides
If only he could reach it,

One more step, one more
Don't look back, never
Forward, the only way to go

At last, hugging onto the desert palm
He waits, nothing, why?
Looks back, the rescue jeep

He faints right there…