Walk into the desert
Sit if you will, close your eyes and
Disappear into the silence.
Deadly is the desert
Yet full of life, so conspicuous, so hidden.

Here the lizard, its color so striking in the sand
There the snake, stealthy as it slithers.
The arachnids-secretive and soft, crawl
Silently on their hunt.

Mice, carefully avoiding winged death
So many desert birds searching for water and food.
The desert kills but is teeming with life
The large hunters - coyote, bobcat, cougar
Are quiet in their pursuit: food for their young.
The eternal cycle continues
And you are part of it.
Do not be the destroyer.

—Barbara A. Stewart