Arizona, Desert Of Death Poem by Gary Halsey Sr.

Not a sound,
except for the distant howling
of the desert coyote.
In the early morning
there’s a slight chill in the air.

Right before the heat
slams the desert floor,
tarantulas and scorpions scurry about,
to escape death rays of the desert sun.

Sky so dark, this time of day,
that’s when the chill,
and darkness gives way,
to the fiery red and pink hues
of the first morning light.

The occasional hawk, is circling around
to find rats and lizards,
maybe a snake or two on the ground.

The smell of the day is sage or mesquite;
Saguaro cacti stand like forbidding
guardians of the desert,
and all its inhabitants.

The desert is beautiful,
in its own way,
except for unforgiving heat
and the sun is deadly.

As the sun crosses over the skies
things seem to take on different shapes
and the colors are amazing,
as the dust devils dance
on the desert floor.

I love this place of untimely death,
unpredictable in its own way,
unforgivable, if you’re in its way.

For beauty is only on the surface of
this majestic place.
You can die out here,
as many have before me.

When dusk comes,
then it’s like a kaleidoscope
of the most beautiful colors,
Again the sky catches fire.

The mountains and shadows,
are all lavender and purples,
Then comes the night.

Tarantulas, scorpions and snakes
once again, own the place.
There's a slight chill in the air,
this time of night.