Audra Burwell - One Poem

 Heat Wavering

Sickness drenches the canyon, 

Yellow swimming and bleeding into orange, 

Peeling, flaking, cascading, 

Into the valley of death below. 

Scales shimmering from cracks, 

The desert’s elusive secret, 

Concealed by crumbling rubble, 

Breaking and fading into a subdued glow. 

Snakes coiled tightly, 

Forked tongues flicking, 

Sunlight glinting off pooled saliva, ‘

Breaking into a million droplets of pale color. 

Sadness morphs from extended shadows, 

Cast by cactus blossoms, 

Crumbling and wilting beneath the unrelenting elements, 

Thrust upon their fragile membranes. 

Some wander this canyon to find truth, 

Deceitful and dull, 

A poison that festers in your gut, 

Bubbling and frothing as it kills. 

Some breach its dusty gates, 

Attempting to outrun the past, 

Feral and bestial, clawing them back, 

To a sin yet unrepented. 

Others seek absolution, 

Their skin peeling like aged parchment, 

Bones white as milk, crushed to dust, 

As their restless spirit wanders the desert wind. 

You will know your reason, 

The moment its sand touches your skin, 

Claiming all weakness, 

As it drags you beneath, into a blistering embrace. 

Audra Burwell is a creative writing major with a strong emphasis on fantasy-themed poetry and fiction. She studies at California State University Fresno where she is aiming for a Master of Fine Arts degree. She is currently employed by Fresno State's Kremen Department as a Communications Assistant.