Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE DESERT, by CLAIRE CAVE



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DESERT, by                    
First Line: The desert is a wolf
Last Line: The desert is a singer...
Subject(s): Deserts; Food & Eating


The desert is a wolf...
A wolf whose heart men can not tame --
Whose parched and blistered throat breathes flame --
A wolf with fangs of jagged stones,
Whose stealthy trail is marked by bones,
Whose hungry cry re-echoes still
Beyond the lonely windswept hill...
The desert is a wolf.

The desert is a snake,
With eyes of green and ruby glass --
With rattle of dead summer grass --
A snake that dozes in the heat
Beneath a blanket of mesquite --
That strikes at either friend or foe
Who would the serpent's secrets know...
The desert is a snake.

The desert is a witch...
A witch with joshua-trees for hands,
Who by her seething cauldron stands --
And from the misty clouds that rise,
Makes magic pictures in the skies;
Who weaves a shining yellow veil
To lure the wanderer from his trail...
The desert is a witch.

The desert is a singer...
A Lorelei with wild-rose lips,
Whose song drifts down from mountain tips...
She sings of gold -- and jeweled sands --
And of the peace of lonely lands --
Soft winds -- And love without regret --
And dreams to make all men forget...
The desert is a singer...





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...



Home: PoetryExplorer.net