Sonnet of the Wilds

Across Namakwa's lonely plains I wander,
where dreamy skies strike yellow off the hills
and rain empastured dunes that close meander
with black rock canyons, wet by floral fills.
 
A billion blossoms, paint these desert mountains
in golden seas with waves of white on blue;
profuse as all the stars in cosmic fountains,
each flawless bloom a longing wish for you.
 
If I could pick a single shining flower,
and touch it to your lips to taste the dew
then lay you down and kiss you in this bower
‘till we’re dissolved into the desert’s hue.
 
That you could be with me - my only prayer;
an everlasting moment's left unshared.
 -

Photograph by WW Schwim
Northern Cape, South Africa. The remote northern region of Namakwaland is an arid mountain wilderness where a few hardy shepherds eke out a nomadic existence. When rain eventually falls, the desert is briefly transformed into a biblical paradise beyond description. Few visitors are lucky enough to experience this breathtaking phenomenon.