midweek morning dog walk
oddly choked with silence
everyone hunkered
in their rabbit holes
imagining rain pouring
through cracks in the sky
a tsunami of water
flooding their day
the post-shower saturation
the smell of choke-weed tea
one growling cloud in the distance
seems mean or maybe
just clearing its throat
that’s the desert for you
everyone and everything
is tough or at least
pretends to be
as they wait
wilt
burn
crack
and kneel
before Her Majesty
the Sovereign Lord Sun