clouds don’t have a union here
the desert hires these billows of mist
as freelancers day workers and hourlies
used to hover for pictures or brief jobs
as shade for the occasional hiker
or to shroud some outdoor activity
mostly they hang around the western mountains
the San Jacinto’s waiting for work
once in a great while they are all
summoned to gather and squeeze
in tight sometimes joined by a
loud band and light show
raining is an exhausting gig
though it sometimes comes with
the free entertainment of a thunderstorm