Desert Solitude
I cannot fall
in love again.
The sand has claimed
too much of me
as a rock crumbles
with extremes.
Now I take
one step
at a time
down the kiva ladder
of your heart.
A choice
for me to step
for you
to pull away the rungs.
And if you do
I fall up
into the dry air
of desert solitude
crumbling completely to sand
blown wide across the glittering
giving tears to a tortoise.