Leona

"Standing alone beside the desert road/ She watches us approach..."

Photo by Jahongir ismoilov on Unsplash

Standing alone beside the desert road
She watches us approach, apprehensive
We stop and soon the stories begin

She walks a few times a week, leaves
George at the car while she explores
Among the wildflowers and sage

In thirty years she's seen the changes
Coyotes, lions, deer, even antelope
Moving to this side of the valley

And then there are the campers
Who cast their litter upon the ground
Empty their tanks to spoil the earth
Chase wild horses on bikes and 4 by 4's
Her face twists with frustration
What can I do but pick up their trash?

We start to go and she waves us on
Say Hi to George when you see him
And turns back to her beloved land.

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You can read more from Sue Cauhape on her page, “Ring Around the Basin”:

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