Mirage Poem by Mark Heathcote

I wandered out of a vast desert alone
The desert questioned me
Where are you going this late inopportune hour?
Why are you leaving me?
Then a wild thought whispered haven’t we?
Always with each other kept good company?
Forget lush meadows and parasols,
Your sands have all but run their due course
Don’t break this mirage; surely, you can now see
It is better that you remain here with me
I then shook the sand out of my right shoe.

When I needed alms - tell me where you were
When I needed sucker - tell me where you were
When I needed an oasis - tell me where you were
So I said adieu… I no longer prolonged with you.
Then, then I shook the sand out of my other shoe
And, then appeared a vast oasis
With a bounty to fulfil all needs
I shook the sand out of my winklepickers shoes
In the still waters reflected, I asked did I misconstrue
Myself as a camel refreshed a new, and the rider, you.