Poem by Karen R. Sanderson
All photos by John Steiner
Desert Canvas
A stranger’s first glance at a sandpaper land
To the untrained eye so stark
They think our God forgot to wave His generous hand.
But go within the seeker’s slow embark:
Touch and venture forth upon the endless expanse
And excavate where ancestral cultures fade.
Explore the cliff mystery’s romance
And lose your step in ruins adobe made
Hear the insistent flutter of looming raptors’ wings
Spooking lizards under rocks of ginger veil
Bringing a prick to jack-rabbit springs
As roadrunners skitter to quick avail
See the sapphire skies on copper-penny peaks subsist
Sleeping mantle sprinkled with heaven’s dreamy eyes
From a yawning dawn’s foggy mists
To awestruck travelers this vista lies
Desert blooms in lemons tart and peaches warm
Meadow hues blushed and painted wild
Beware the sly and patient cactus’ unforgiving thorn
Unsuspected, drawn to their scent, beguiled
The moon rises from amethyst mountain cloak
Winds howl denouncing the mesa’s plateau breeze
Arid powder of lost, wandering animals, now bones,
Summer dust awaits the overnight freeze.
John Steiner is a traveler, writer, aviator, drone operator, and avid photographer. A photo fanatic from a young age, John now shares his travel experiences and photographs via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and on his blog.
John’s blog is at http://www.photobyjohnbo.com.
You can find his photo page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PhotoByJohnbo.
He is also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/photobyjohnbo and on
Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/photobyjohnbo.
Karen R. Sanderson 