DESERT SERENITY  2   (3-19-1989, dawn at 'OH MY GOD' natural hot springs in the Badlands of the Anza Borrego D

 
i am this  
desert  
serenity  
rich cacti dawns  
hushed  
pastel song  
suspended here  
within its all  
encompassing peace  
swallowed up  
down here beneath  
this still sleeping  
but gently awakening  
skys above  
blue gray wide  
stirring yawn  
which ever so  
gradually  
soon stretches beyond  
squinting pink eye  
of still sunken  
unseen suns  
slow  silent  
new mornings  
radiantly illumined arising  
as new day  
comes delicately on  
quietly stretching out  
beyond  
this broad  distant  
far horizon  
unveiling itself  
here now  
before me  
as thoughts  soft  
roll aloft  
observing bat dance  
to bat click  
on bat wing  
as their wings  
too now  
stretch  
away with approaching  
dawn  
blindly retreating  
back into somewhere  
caves  
like closed eyes  
cool and dark  
awaiting their subterranean  
return  
as i  naked  
here now  
a living part  
of it all  
step down into  
this natural  
hot springs primal  
call  
to my innate  
pagan nature  
to surrender completely  
more wholely into  
its bone deep  
soul deep invitation  
where i let  
go to freely  
and openly receive  
the euphoric  
ecstasy of its  
sensuously rapturous  
deeply penetrative  healing  
gifts  
as it softly  
sings  
its transcendent  thermal  
desert dreams  
to me  
like a small bird  
trilling out its  
own sweet  
trickling stream  
of radiantly happy  
inner joy  
and peace  
down here beneath  
the now quickly  
fading  
diluted hues  
of nights lost  
blues  
segueing into these  
brighter  
grays  whites  
lighter blues  
painted pinks  
and tangerine  
around ascending disc  
of still newly  
rising sun  
itself enlightening  
flamboyant  
exotic  serene  
desert wide  
now opening more  
widely  
all around me  
vast  flat  empty  
or so at  
first  
to some  
it may seem  
when in truth  
this living deserts  
full of life  
of constant change  
of ancient truths  
endless sand  
sweet mystery  
temporalness  
and eternity  
where shadowy hills  
and  
distant mesas stand  
like detailed wind  
water and time  
carved  
sculpted fortress walls  
surrounding me  
in all directions  
near and far  
away  
yet here  
in its heart  
where i stand  
in the fluid  
innermost dawn of  
this truly timeless  
moment  
i realize  
i am standing  
at the center  
of this universe  
and that wherever  
i stand  
the center of  
this universe is  
always wherever i  
am  
no matter  
whether im  
consciously tuned in  
listening with all  
my open senses  
and heart or  
not  
nonetheless  
it definitely helps  
when i am  
just as i am  
here now  
as dawns light  
increasingly unscrolls  
into ever brightening  
new morning  
where unseen  renegade  
coyote calls  
come abruptly  
cutting in  
from different  
scattered points  
and hidden pockets  
out all across  
this vast  peaceful  
ancient desert realms  
other worldly  
mysterious  awe inspiring  
landscape  
perking up my ears  
alerting my attention  
as desert winds  
come driving down  
like primordial ghosts  
off mountain sides  
through canyon halls  
in long  dry  
cool  comforting  
ethereal  earth exhalations  
sweeping over  
and through  
everything  
mystic  mythic  living  
breath  
of both conscious  
mother earth  
and great mystery  
comes to cleanse  
and purge  
the fullness  
of my reopened  
being  
with its  
primal messages  
embracing my flesh  
my mind  
and senses  
through its haunting  
echoes  
reminding me  
here yet again  
i am  
this desert  
serenity  
yes all  
of this i  
truly  
am