I’ve swum in the tumultuous waters

of despair – with my head below

the covering waters

and my hands clutching at straws

I’ve walked through the burning

sands of the Desert of No Love

with no water and survived –

The vultures of loss calling

above my love-burnt face

A man in the desert found me

and put a champagne flute of

the freshest water to my parched lips

But alas, I could not take a drink

from that crystal vessel

As I lay in quiet sadness

the hungry feathers of the winged beasts

clattered over me

Still gasping to hold onto an existence

a man with no water shadowed

my stricken body – what he saw

drew tears from his already

shrunken form

His heartfelt tears melted away

the dryness and the desert became

lush and green so I could be sheltered

safe in the depth of his protected forest forever…

© Kait King, 2015