A Poem — Desert Wind

Posted on 09/18/2024 by Andrew Reynolds

I’ve been busy doing stuff and haven’t been posting here much. I’ve been working on a post for the last road trip we took took to visit our grandson. I might actually post that later this week. In the meantime I thought I’d post a WIP poem from my poetry collection, The Lectionary Project, where I am writing poems in response to the Gospel of Matthew. I’ve completed 20 poems out of a planned 48 and currently think I might finish the collection around 2029.

Last week I started a 12 week poetry workshop on ekphrasis poetry. I find these kinds of workshops to be very helpful in developing my writing, but it does take up a lot of my writing time.

Here’s the WIP this week:

Desert Wind

After Matthew 7:21-29 which is read in year A on Sunday between May 29 and June 4 if after Trinity Sunday

Snow dots the gravel covered hills,
Remnants of water’s hope.
In the street a warm southern wind brings desire.
Concrete beneath our feet, solid eggshell over sand.

From the rocky hilltop,
the city spreads before us.
Audacious and proud.
Built to endure ages of entropy.

Anchored in dust, supported by moving rock.
Stepping from the outlook our feet
land on rolling gravel
as we sand surf into the chasm.

Let me know what you think.

Unknown's avatar

About Andrew Reynolds

Born in California Did the school thing studying electronics, computers, release engineering and literary criticism. I worked in the high tech world doing software release engineering and am now retired. Then I got prostate cancer. Now I am a blogger and work in my wood shop doing scroll saw work and marquetry.
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24 Responses to A Poem — Desert Wind

  1. Dave's avatar Dave says:
    09/23/2024 at 8:05 am

    48 poems! Ambitious (at least IMHO), even with a five-year plan!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Lillie's avatar Lillie says:
    09/22/2024 at 5:50 pm

    MMM. Very nice and descriptive!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Ilsa Rey's avatar ParentingIsFunny says:
    09/21/2024 at 8:18 pm

    Very nice, Andrew. (Despite the lack of puns. πŸ˜‰ )

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Eunice Miller's avatar Eunice Miller says:
    09/19/2024 at 4:24 am

    This is Awesome!

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Diane Henders's avatar Diane Henders says:
    09/18/2024 at 8:42 pm

    Very evocative! I love your concrete “solid eggshell over sand”. πŸ™‚

    Liked by 2 people

  7. PiedType's avatar Pied Type says:
    09/18/2024 at 7:52 pm

    “Anchored in dust, supported by moving rock” made me think first of LA and its earthquakes. But then, all earth’s continents are in constant, if slow, motion. Lots to ponder here.

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Sheila Landry Designs's avatar Sheila Landry Designs says:
    09/18/2024 at 4:35 pm

    Thank you for sharing, Andrew! πŸ™‚

    Liked by 2 people

  9. joynealkidney's avatar joynealkidney says:
    09/18/2024 at 12:51 pm

    Built to endure ages of entropy. Also my favorite line, especially after the one just before it.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. davefoylef95a143192's avatar davefoylef95a143192 says:
    09/18/2024 at 10:39 am

    Thanks for sharing your lovely poem.

    My favorite line was β€œbuilt to endure ages of entropy”. For two reasons:

    • I had a discussion about entropy this week, so it’s been on my mind, but more creatively:
    • That line has both Past AND Future aspects to it. β€œBuilt” in the past, β€œEndure ages of entropy” to come in the future. it feels like it’s reaching into the past AND the future at the same time.

    Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 3 people

  11. June Lorraine Roberts's avatar June Lorraine Roberts says:
    09/18/2024 at 10:07 am

    Nice piece Andrew, brings up all kind of thoughts…

    Liked by 3 people

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