contemplating the cacti

no, the desert

has never

been my 

favorite

i will always choose

broadleaf trees

waterfalls

and rich black soil

but 

here am i

in the dry southwest

watching these cacti

raise their century old arms

into what may be

the bluest sky

i have ever seen

i see you cacti,

i whisper

and suddenly,

so suddenly 

you are

beautiful

"The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.

If you ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it.

Your life will be impoverished.

But if you invest in beauty, 

it will remain with you all the days of your life.”

-Frank Lloyd Wright

I have said recently in conversation that the desert is “growing on me”. . . which indicates a slow process of coming to appreciate it. I believe that is still true. However, sometimes, awareness of something springs suddenly as it did for me on this trip with the cacti. I think it had to do with taking time to draw closer to them and doing a tour where i learned more about their fascinating lives.