The Call of the Desert

In the bright heat of afternoon I watch the monsoon build in the vast sky. Great fluffy columns of steam rising on hot ascending air. As the water rushes up, the rubbing friction gathers up huge gangs of electrons. When their captives cannot be suppressed any longer, they escape the clouds moist bonds. In the distance a bright flash, then in a few beats of my heart, the low rumble of far away thunder. It is a warning of the coming storm.

In the hot Star’s blaring light, green skinned spiny trees, with micro leaves, cast their dark creeping shadows on the sun baked dry earth. In the spring the their canopy turns pale yellow from thousands of flowers, but now, beneath it, a giant grows. While, it is just a small thorny lump, eventually, it will grow so huge it will kill it’s nurse tree. Its roots lay ready to soak up the coming rain.

A paint spotted skin creature travels between cactus that are collections many edged joined green needled flat plates. The creature’s tongue flicks out and in tasting the air looking for a meal. It walks on four stubby legs like the monsters that destroy Tokyo on the late night weekend horror show. Its jaws ready to lock closed on unsuspecting prey. It plods through the storm’s gusting wind, hunting.

A horned lizard stands in a red ant pile. Warrior ants swarm out and attack to protect the colony. The horny toad snatches one in its mouth then another. As it eats, it is seen by a road runner that rush over and grasps the lizard in its beak. A stream of blood squirts from the eyes of the struggling quarry. Startled, the bird releases the horny toad and it flees. The cool wind blows up a dust storm ahead of the rain.

A pack rat scurries down a well worn path to its nest in the paddle cactus. Fast as lightning a rattle snake strikes the foot sized warm target. Its fangs pierce and inject its poison into the small mammal. The rodent quivers and dies. As the snake swallows it victim whole, there is a brilliant flash light and a shocking disturbance of clapping air. A mesquite tree burst into flames and ten quail explode into the sky. The dead wood in the tree burns. Rain falls from tall clouds, but the air is so hot the drops evaporates before they can hit the ground. The fire grows.

A rabbit hops down a trail by patches of dry grass. It is spotted by a pack of coyotes. They start yipping as they swam around the long eared prey. Attacks are constantly at the back of their doomed meal, as they rip it open and eat the fresh meat. Great drops splash down all about the pack as they bide for scraps.

Torrents of water from the sky run fast on the dry ground. Quickly the dry wash has a wall of water moving down the channel. In it, debris tumbles in the wave front pulverizing anything in its path. The wash now runs side to side full of dark rushing liquid. The soft sandy sides collapse into the muddy fluid. A cold tumbling death awaits any foolish enough to become ensnared.

Then as suddenly as it started, it stops and the concentrated light shines down again. The air smells of creosote. Water soon steams from dark objects. The ground soaks up the gleaming pools, and the dry wind carries away the moisture. Once more the land bakes in the scorching heat. Engulfed in the desert's parched silence, I was nothing but another grain of sand in the wind.