I glanced in the side view mirror of the U-Haul truck. One mile forward, one more, and then another. With each mile forward everything familiar slipped further and further away. The lush, tree-covered green hills of North Texas slowly gave way to the parched, bland Permian Basin with its sage brush and low-lying mesquite trees. By late afternoon, absolutely nothing was in front of us except miles of dry, hot Chihuahan Desert. Flat was the land—yellow, ochre, and brown.
A dust storm barreled through the desert, forcing us off the Interstate. The only thing visible was a battered barrel cactus, some cinder block houses, and a ramshackle motel aptly named The Desert View Motel. The hot wind carried the dust across the parking lot of the motel and deeper into town where all the dirt roads seemed to lead nowhere in particular.
“How could anyone live in this god-forsaken, gritty, colorless, treeless land?” I thought.
We checked into the motel and waited for the dust storm to pass. I woke early the next morning, the sun sparkling off the dusty venetian blinds casting a warm glow across the room. I peeked through the blinds, surprised that the sky was now abundantly clear. The sun glistened across the sand beckoning me outside.
I stood at the doorway and cried, “Oh God, take me from this place—the sand, the heat, and the vacant horizon.”
A voice said, “It is no desert.”
I shielded my eyes, looking far off in the distance. The aridity had somehow freed the light unleashing the desert’s grandeur. The sky was a dazzling, intense blue color. The sand dunes took on sunlight and pulse. I could see tiny clouds of sand floating above the ground like smoke. It was breathtaking!
No, the earth here wasn’t cloaked in forest, nor draped in pastoral, peaceful green. Instead, it donned a simple, khaki-colored robe embellished with a colorful sunrise, splendid fishhook barrel cacti, yellow desert marigolds, and desert dandelions to name a few. I just had to look more closely to see the beauty surrounding me.
flower in desert
blooms beneath the blazing sun
same hope inside me
NOTE: A haibun is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that combines prose and haiku.
