A Day in the Desert

Poem by Dawn Colclasure

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The desert sun beats down on me
With unrelenting heat.
There is nothing but sand everywhere I look
And sand to walk on at my feet.
 
Glorious brown and black mountains
Rise from the ground beyond.
The lizards that live on the desert floor
Take heed when they hear a sound.
 
Scorpions explore along the grainy sand,
Their looped stingers ready to strike at their next meal.
Sidewinders weave through the sand,
Their slithering bodies relying on what they can feel.
 
Black widows spin their webs among rocks
And the palm trees sway in the hot wind.
A coolness falls over the desert landscape
At twilight, when the sun’s light has dimmed.
 
Another scorching day in the desert has ended
And the nocturnal critters come out to play.
They enjoy the cool evenings after being underground,
Where they survived another hot desert day.

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Dawn Colclasure is a writer who lives in Oregon. She is a book reviewer, freelance writer, poet, and ghostwriter. She is the author of several books. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites, and anthologies.'