WOMAN FROM A DESERT Poem by Dane Zajc

Woman from a desert
has breasts of sand (red)
her navel is a hollow in the sand
as if drilled by a sandpiper

there is skin between her thighs
moist sand: out of it grow
ever changing desert flowers
opening their wet mouths
into the sand

when he touches the woman from the desert
she is red fire
her hair flames blue
it swirls red from her navel
the orchid between her legs doesn't burn
but grows larger
envelopes him with flowery lips
with mouths mouths everywhere

as they cry out scorched
they disintegrate into red sand
the woman from the desert vanishes
he looks for her in the sand
finds no trace other in the sandy sheets