Alone in the Desert

Alone in the Desert - I am writing this as I sit quarantined in my home. It’s been a week since our return from Morocco and yes, the inspiration for this poem is the photograph you see above. But I am also thinking of the isolation so many of us are experiencing as we shelter in place for protection against the coronavirus. As of this writing, the US has surpassed China and Italy for the total number of cases - and the death toll continues to climb with no end in sight. With the economy at a standstill and social life cut off, we are all in a virtual desert praying that the isolation we are feeling will soon come to an end and we can all enjoy the sounds of the market once again.

Alone in the desert,

Beneath the hot blue sky.

I walk the shifting sands,

In search for a reason why.

The sickness seals me in,

I await the judgement call.

Silent dreams soon deferred,

Racing toward the fall.

My memories of the past are gone,

Lost in the desert sand.

Swept away by the dry wind,

I count my blessings on one hand.

I look for the promised message,

Out beyond the flowing dunes.

A prayer for my God,

Under a waxing moon.

Once a haven for my soul,

The empty beauty of this place.

I long for the market voices,

To come and fill my empty space.

And lift me from this haze,

of cloud and sun and sand.

To hear the sound of hope,

I will offer up my hand.