Sunday, April 10, 2011

Five Views of The Claret Cup Cactus in praise of National Poetry Month



Oh, little cactus
tucked in shadow
lost in camouflage
I overlooked you at first.
But within the desert's myriad shades of gray
a patterned texture scratched my attention
and drew me in.
That's when I saw them:
your buds--
scarlet knots twisted tightly
in the grasp of your thorns.

And when it came time to leave,
I couldn't bear to turn away
from the promise of your flowers;
and so, I'm back,
scaling ramps and mounds of rock and stone,
seeking out your hidden enclaves
for the bounty of your blooms.






5 comments:

  1. Hello Anitra-

    Beautiful pictures and beautiful poetry. The desert can inspire a wide range of thoughts.

    Regards,

    Joseph

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  2. Aneet,

    From a distance,did you think those buds were red roses? That's what it looked like to me viewing the photos. I was curious as to where this desert is? Jonathan

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  3. I've finally figured out how this blog posts comments. All of them, including mine, are posted in chronological order as to time and date--no exceptions. There must be some way around it, but at this point, this is the only way it works. I don't like it, but at least I now understand.

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  4. Joseph,

    Good to hear from you! Yes, it's the space and quiet.

    ~ Aneet

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  5. Jonathan, hello!

    You're right, they do look like roses. If I had first seen them from a distance, I might have thought the same. It was the cactus I saw first, and then, on closer inspection, the buds. All of these photos were shot at Joshua Tree National Monument, the same park as three posts below.

    The thing is, I had to leave before the buds flowered, and I couldn't bear to have never seen them bloom. And so, that, along with my allergies, compelled me to return. I'm so glad I did.

    As always, so good to hear from you, Jonathan, ~ Aneet

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