Across The Sahara Poem by Gita Ashok

Across The Sahara

Rating: 5.0


Miles and miles of sand
with no horizon in view,
the caravan moves on -
in search of an oasis.

The heat is treacherous,
the sand is scorching,
the camels are tired
and so are the herdsmen.

The journey is long,
the day will almost be gone
and darkness will reign again
until another day dawns.

The desert’s dreadful distances,
the weather’s vicious whims and
the camels’ callous restlessness
all add to the herdsmen’s hardship.

Roadless tracks
of sand and rocks
where tall, wild cactuses abound
with many stretching sand dunes around.

The Sahara -
a natural oven -
bakes humans as well as camels
leaving scattered mortal remains.

A sandy landscape
in shades of light fawn
with deceptive mirages -
inviting thirst again.

The journey is long
with no sign of an oasis.
But the caravan must move on…
Inshallah – until we meet again.

8 June 2010
12 noon

COMMENTS OF THE POEM

Your words painted a beautiful picture! Ioved this poem. D

1 0 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 02 July 2016

this is a wonderful poem..... i was there in Sahara and experienced the caravans journey with the native people. i stayed with the catholic monks who love to lead an ascetic life and early morning mediated there. sand, sky, the horizon......... dawn and dusk there..... you have pictured it wonderfully very well. thank you dear poetess. tony

0 0 Reply
C N Prem Kumar 10 July 2010

The vastness of Sahara is captured in short and elegant lines.

0 1 Reply
Subbaraman N V 25 June 2010

I happily recollect my days in the Thar deserts in Rajasthan for a couple of years -nineteen years ago! Thanks for making me to live my old days through your lovely poem.

1 0 Reply
Gan Chennai 23 June 2010

Awesome. I don't know whether the poet has really visited Sahara. The notion that women are not so imaginative and not good at writing poetry is proved wrong.

0 1 Reply
Dr.subhendu Kar 15 June 2010

But the caravan must move on… Inshallah – until we meet again......................... yet caravan slithers by floating spumes of blue thirst and weariness never still bewilders truth must dissipates mystery of mirage as audacity of wish yet leads away by light of longing..........passionate write by journey across sahara, the way you depicts the myth of desert by life across sahara is really scintillating that portrays the the very art of colors on the rungs of desiccation, awesome,10+++, thanks for sharing

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