The Desert

Dunes, endless dunes

Sand stretches infinitely in all directions

Travelers must be wary, for to be lost is to die

The wind blows at their backs, stinging sand flying into eyes

The sun beats down on them, powerful and merciless

Heat makes the landscape wavy,

as if it were living

And maybe it is

The dunes change, growing and shrinking with each blow of the mighty wind

A shifting landscape,

an inescapable trap

As if it were hiding some great treasure in the heart of desert

The sun a watchful eye over its domain

With no landmarks, it is easy to be lost

Walking up each mountain of sand brings the hope of a new landscape,

Of finally reaching the end of the desert

But every time,

Just sand.

As far as the eyes can see

No water, no life, just sand.

A rare oasis offers a false promise of salvation

But one must eventually leave

thrown to the mercy of the sand once more

Too hot during the day, too cold at night

The sun beating down on visitors, angry at their intrusion

Or the stars, attempting to freeze travelers when heat fails

And always, no water

Who knows how many have been swallowed by the sand

Footsteps disappear in seconds;

Bodies in minutes

The dunes will not be conquered

Humanity will

At the mercy of the land once more,

humbled by nature’s brutality

For the sand is ever hungry

and so it lies dormant

Until it feasts on mankind once more.

-Shayde