Rain in the Desert

Neil Harding McAlister

Dark clouds oppress the Valley of the Sun.

As water drips off cactus in the heat

The golfers pack their gear, their plans undone,

And to the clubhouse sullenly retreat.

The cracked earth now the gift of rain receives.

Arroyos brim with torrents seldom seen. 

The ocotillo shine with bright, new leaves,

And shades of brown transform to verdant green.

Why curse our luck, like golfers in the rain,

When we don’t get what we expect to find?

The rare surprise we may not see again

Brings joy and wonder to an open mind.

The rains that wash the desert’s dusty face

Reveal a hidden beauty in its place.

© 2005 NHMcA

Paradise Valley, Arizona