Haiku from the Desert

Inspired by the terrible beauty and stark contrasts of California's desert regions.

Gritty twisters blow
River's bedding, desert's breath -
Both are dry yet flow

Mountain's glowing glaze
Framing paling hues of dawn's
Softly blooming blaze

Frozen streams of snow
Tears from weathered granite face
Slowly, surely flow

Heaven's bottom rungs:
Candied-cotton cloudy wisps
Torn by windy tongues

Noontime raindrops fall
Pelting, dousing crimson hides
Angry ant-streams writhe

Fragile floating tunes
Blurry wings and nectar dreams
Hummingbirds and blooms

An Interlude: Dreams of a different land

Twitching spades of jade
Modest cobble's living robe
Sunbeams slice the shade

Gilded hoods of green
Cling like linen to old limbs
Oaken bones unseen

---The Lone Grapefruit Tree, Beseiged---

Bitter tattered limbs
Lobbing bobbing yellow bombs
Into trimming winds