Date: Sat, 09 Oct 1999 10:28:45 -0700
Subject: Re: Desert in Bloom


Daniel wrote:
>
>John,
>
>have you written a poem of the desert in bloom?

Not yet there is one in the process. 

The flower safari

la bahia magdelena

a hulk of concrete 
and towers obtrudes
above the sand gorse
unfinished

wavering dalliances
of unamed florets
amidst cholla
mammallaria 

fish hook cactus
and temporal arrangements
of minute and infinitely
thrown rainbows
spilt on the sandy substrate
like snow lying everywhere
a litany of names
campanilla
yuca 
calabaza 
amargo
golondrina
cassia
chicaro
the garbancillo 
casa de indio
ojos de pajarito
tabardillo
pega pega
salvia
mal de ojo
abronia
chicalote
amapola amarilla
lavanda del mar

fiesta de los 
castelillejas
pichel
romerillo
snapdragons
jasmin de la sierra

mangroves green 
and daunting
bowers to
jade speckled 
yellow tailed fish

a fishing hut hidden in the dunes nearby
fringe the arabesques of stems
flashing effect being in flower

it as though the rust bucket
truck is on a safari 

like the flour meadows
in first bloom
of spring
you move the air
that pleases me

areoles
fleshy smooth types
erect

bed of straw
northern smooth flesh
moon fish