Ancient Caravan -- The Sunday Whirl #307 -- Poets United

 ANCIENT CARAVAN        

sunlight shimmers across the sand         caravans loaded with silks and exotic perfumes

guided by the stars              there is a rhythm to their passage                        it is the same

as their father’s before them          nights in the desert are chilly        they pitch tents

of colored sheets                 plum and red                                    in the last light of day

fires glow golden                 rival sparkling stars                         above

the prophet tells stories      ancient history                      of the people

their past journeys               and of journeys to come     a shot sounds

echoes in the canyon         rumors of bandits                 persuade them to

                                                                                                                                   

pick a new route                  it would be foolish               to continue on the same

light from the full moon       lights the desert                   shimmers across the sand                       

creates a new world                        nothing seems the same               many days

and nights                 before they reach their destination          the caravan vulnerable

July 9, 2017