Sun On My Skin Part 1 Poem by Paula Glynn

I feel the sun burn on my skin,
The African sun that burns skin brown,
And melts my heart from within,
For I have found a place,
Where my tears sink beneath the sun,
And blue fire snakes through these veins,
For I have found my reign,
In this empty country,
Except for the sand that erodes my feet,
And leaves me thirsty for a drink,
As I see an oasis in the far distance,
And I walk towards it,
Only to see dead plants and trees,
Standing still in the heat of the desert,
That contains me with its heat,
But this skin welcomes the sun,
Because pain and pleasure have just begun,
I can see where my journey travels towards,
But I cannot see the end,
I see hope in this barren place,
And know that pride and loyalty,
Is something I don't have to pretend,
For this African sun protects me from the cold,
Cold that consume and make a person bitter,
And this skin welcomes the heat of the desert,
And knows all fear and pain will depart,
As nights turn into days,
And many a religious man will pray,
And hope for enlightenment in the new day,
As person passes person,
In this existence known as life,
For it may be a hard life,
But I have learnt that although hard,
Life is as precious as any diamond.