Made for TV

It was only an old TV show. 

It showed me a plain 

that I longed for. 

desperately hot, 

hot winds that sculpt the sand, 

sparse cacti, 

tough plants 

    cling to scant shade. 

amazing broad blue sky 

where a burning hot sun reigns. 

black star studded velvet sky at night.

sands magically covered in vegetation

when clouds and rains roll in. 

Of course it was only a TV show, 

polished and stunning for the camera. 

My dreams are something very different.

“When you’re in the desert, you look into infinity….It makes you feel 

terribly small, and also in a strange way, quite big.”

~ David Lean, Film Director

(1908 ~ 1991)

Alice Lake

 Patios sweltered under

 stifling heat that settled 

 under leafy trees

 ruffled by breezes 

 cooled by the lake

 ruffled by speed boats

 bare feet hopped 

 into refreshing water. 

 Toes and heels nestled

 into soft wet sand

 Capris rolled up ~

 up to the knees cooled.

 beach party wrapped up

 ~ a fun birthday party awaits!

“What dreadful hot weather we have! 

It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.”

~ Jane Austen

Forget Me Not

Long shadows at the beach

sea weed swirls and tickles.

Soft warm sand ……….

I forgot my plastic pail and shovel!

“Beware of missing chances; otherwise 

it may be altogether too late some day.

~ Franz Liszt

Sand Piles and Fingerpaints

Grand experiments often begin 

in sand piles with dump trucks 

on beaches with castles and moats

at home with mud pies and finger painting. 

Children are sure of success

always wanting to try

knowing intuitively 

learning stuff while they play. 

Mud pies and castles 

don’t garner great wealth, 

but are definite reasons for 

tea parties and defending forts. 

Play is messy, creative and brilliant. 

The experiments? Painting flowers or rainbows!

If it doesn’t look like either one ~ 

crumple it up, knock it down and try something else. 

Grand experiments are often 

in the eyes of the scientist or architect

whether a curious four or forty, 

because the work is exciting and creative.

Grand experiments often grow and blossom

into the grandest of experiments ~

each day playing with precious moments 

building castles or painting flowers and rainbows.

“Life is more fun if you play games.”

~ Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald

To Make a Decision

Today's Writer's Ink assignment was to create a scene.  The parameter's were: Time: early morning, 
Weather: a band of cloud, 
Location: the desert 
Feeling: a neglected feeling. 

Each of us did something a bit different. I have done some editing since this afternoon's reading: found lots of holes in my first offering once I read it out loud.

Here is my take:

To Make a Decision

Rudolfo was awakened abruptly from an already uneasy sleep.

“Out! Out! You only paid me for this far! Another bus will come.”

With that the surly bus driver left in a cloud of red sand that filtered the early morning sun. Rudolfo looked down the road. Nothing. This was definitely not fun. The bus stop sign, sand blasted and chipped with age, barely stood upright. Strange, unnerving calm settled in the dusty sand around him. Rudolfo looked into the desert for any bit of shelter. Only one lone scrubby tree leaned silently into the desert. The horizon was edged in a rolled up bank of cloud barely outlined with the golden dawn. Faint hope of seeing the desert come alive on this trip blossomed as the cloud rolled forward bringing the storm. A quick, panicked glance down the road made up Rudolfo’s mind. He dashed away from the decrepit bus stop sign to the lonely tree hoping that he would be safe, pulling his thin poncho from his back pack as he ran. Would the bus come first or the storm?

“A desert is a place without expectation.”

~ Nadine Gordimer, Telling Times