Flames in the Desert Sky

They grew up in the "land of the unconscious" unaware of the existence of one another.

It wasn't until they reached "the Gateway to the West" and crossed paths, one going East and one going West under the dark Dakota sky that they met on that fateful night.

Both warriors of the road, both dreamers with a burning passion to leave behind the darkness of the chemical filled warehouse world that divides spirit from body.

The boy went east while the girl went west though the boy knew it'd only be a matter of time before he found himself heading that same direction again.

Over a year had passed before they were brought back together again.

The young man had decided that it was time to leave behind all of the spiritual poverty that he felt to be a crime in the flat lands of Illinois.

The young lady had left Wisconsin for the burning deserts of Arizona to keep a vow she made to herself.

As he rolled deep into the red rock valley full of monuments he was told "Go see the young lady in one of the worlds most magical places" so onto Sedona, he rolled.

It had been 3 years since he had been to Sedona, a place he once lived in and the first place that ever called him to the road.

The boy and girl met on a full moon lit night in a town 30 miles north where the mountains touch the sky.

Sparks were flying as the connection had finally been made, two souls united as one for a long nights serenade.

Being seasoned travelers they talked of stories of the road, about their painful childhoods back in the midwest and how they both despised the cold.

A little uncertain of the other but knowing without a doubt they proceeded to follow the guidance of the Universe by passionately making love until the sun came about.

The signs of this connection had been written in the heavens above as he told her "Arizona has all of the things I dearly love." it wasn't made clear if she had been included in his words but in his heart it could be felt for they did not have to speak.

Karma had slipped in to assist these two old souls with young hearts and help them see what was written in the stars and what was meant to be.

Both followed the guidance and went for the ride as the passion grew more intense and the tides started to divide.

Visions of love, travel, children and home impressed themselves upon him as he learned to surrender to the call of his soul.

She opened up to him with her deepest and darkest secrets, found extreme pleasure and comfort in his touch and sober passionate soul.

Still he wonders what happened on the first night of spring, under the full moon on top of a mountain overlooking a city.

The following morning he returned to the mountain, to see his beloved soul at the most powerful place in the "Valley of the Sun" only this time unlike before she had chosen not to live up to her cities name, instead of rising from the ashes this Phoenix decided to run.

At the edge of the cliff with plenty of reason to jump, a leap of faith was more than enough. The leap was up to them to take and follow their guidance within. He jumped while she stood there stumped allowing the fear to seep in.

When given a gift so divine, what causes a person to turn, run and hide? All the while leaving the world that was flowing in creation all disheveled and broken behind.

This poem is to speak to lovers that have followed their guidance to the beat of both their hearts in perfect sync, to impress upon them that when they find a gem to face the fear with courage and might, not to let their haunting past creep in and kill everything again, to slip into darkness and away from the light.

Though they both have suffered a loss, never knowing what might have been(except for what they were shown)and seeing what happens when you slap God's gift out of his hands displaying the ultimate sin, their lives will move on.

Love doesn't always conquer all and the darkness often takes flight but if you have something heaven sent and diversely divine make sure that you put yourself in check and realize that you may only have this one moment in time.

Time will only tell what will become of these two travelers as they head off into the dark night of the soul, will they meet again or is this the end for these two flames burning in the desert sky as the night grows cold?

-Zachary Hill 2011(C)

"Though lovers be lost love shall not." - Dylan Thomas