Slipping Off to a Sand Dune
Moonlight on the sand dune
sounds like the start of
some silly romantic cliché.
But there we sat
in the desert night,
as the air turned cool
following the relentless heat.
Our bodies with a slight lean,
mine to the left,
yours to the right,
to mold ourselves together.
Not in search of warmth
but rather a function
of a different kind of heat
that stills burns after all this time.
So comfortable back in those days.
What an incredible night
lit by the moon
and thousands of pinpricks
of light from above.
Oh! And hold on for another cliché
of the desert night.
For in the distance comes the yelp
and call of coyotes through the clear air.
Funny how those little scenes from the past,
those special moments
enmeshed in seemingly ancient memories
can spring to life
and not be part of the distant past
but alive, real, and a part of this moment,
of now.
So real that I can breathe in the desert night
and feel the warmth at my side.
But wait, there’s more
as the endless commercials say
as they bring out the special offer.
And what bonus do I have
with this precious memory
already too precious to require more?
Oh, Lord. I can hear her now
as she sings
for she was always full of song.
I hear the words,
her voice soft, sultry
as she sings a silly song
with a desert theme.
What a strange song to be ours
but it always was
always will be.
With talk of slipping off to a sand dune
real soon.
And not needing a camel
“when I take you for a ride”.
Silly song singing in my memory tonight
with coyotes for a backup role.
Is there a point to all this?
Some significant thought to pull it all together
with a philosophical melding
of the past and my present world?
No. Not this time.
Not this particular accumulation of words.
No, this one is just touching a memory
or letting it touch me.
Just a tiny slice of time
brought to life for just a moment.
Like a commercial to interrupt
my story in its live presentation.
And now,
back to our regularly scheduled program.
Michael Mathews
May 26, 2020
10:25 AM Tuesday (after Memorial Day)
On the lake on this cloudy day
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