Desert dwellers
Thanks to the nameless hitch-hiker who saved my life on a Louisiana back road .
For those who only know oasis
it must be difficult to fathom
another way of life beyond the walls,
amidst the shifting dunes.
Those that follow gypsy trails
have quite a different eye to
the sustenance and comforts
abiding near the lush oasis well.
For this old worn-down pilgrim
still the open desert beckons,
where mates and allies are waiting
though i know not yet their names.
I live to share this wanderer’s tale
thanks to one such nameless friend.
We shared our gypsy journey briefly,
and will likely never meet again.
Were it not for that stout soul
I would have died out there alone.
It was this kind and gentle nomad
who stood with me til aid arrived.
Now but for age and infirm health,
I would not hesitate to venture out
beyond the walls amidst the dunes;
to meet again these noble desert dwellers.
Where there is a greater thirst fulfilled
that can never be slaked in an oasis.
Just a few drops of this holy nectar
quenches more than ever the deepest well.
(2014)
