Desert Rain

I smelled rain on the wind
As dark clouds swelled to spill;
Thick, cold drops pattered the ground
And kicked up dust,
As quail sought shelter under shrubs.
Then it poured and the earth sighed,
Quenching her parched throat —
Rivulets of tears flowed down her cheeks
As she cried respite relief
From the abuse of an angry sun.
Too quick, the rain settled,
But the birds rejoiced in song,
Drinking and bathing from puddles.
Stepping out in the cool damp —
The moist air upon my skin and lungs,
Its incense of petrichor and creosote —
I smiled for the desert.

Writing from the lands of the Hohokam, Sobaipuri, Akimel O’odham, and O’odham Jeweḍ. (Source: native-land.ca)

A little free form bit to capture what I saw, felt, and smelled the other day. Rain in the desert has a distinct smell, with mostly that of the earthy, peppery scent of the creosote bush. Something I will miss when we leave the desert.

As always, thanks for reading!