a simple wish     a simple wish, a dream unfulfilled, bringing deep meditation. closing the eyes, shutting out the full moon, the air is heavy with the promise of rain. still silence prevails except for the hot winds carrying hollow sounds through the canyon still remaining deep in thought as the movie plays in the mind, over and over again. will this wish ever be realized? still later thinking, staring off into the late night desert sky, patiently waiting for answers which never seem to come. a rumbling arises in the distance, one that matches the turmoil that is churning within, but with it comes the promise of renewal as the rain begins to fall. the parched earth sings with its thirst now quenched by the sky's waters. saguaros lift their arms to the clouds, their bodies swelling as the rain falls just as the prickly pear also swell, and the chollas' spines glisten with the moisture. but watch out for these spines, those of the greedy, who are unfeeling, waiting to overcome their next victim, waiting to sink their barbs deep into the skin, deep into the hearts, impossible to remove, in those unsuspecting, passing by too close. these are all those who live simple lives, who may be too trusting, who have pure spirits, who treat the land with respect as it is a part of them. it is these barbs that tear at the soul of Mother Earth, seeking to destroy her in the never ending quest for more. these barbs tear apart the lives of many, leaving them in the wake of total destruction, treating them like nothing more than tiny grains of sand spread over their lands. no matter how angry Father Sky reacts, lightening bolts striking fierce and often, the downpour brings nourishment yet chaos at the same time trying to drive out those barbs to cast them out into the desert, to teach them the meaning of the land, the harsh realities, the need for balance, the need for life to remain the same. all this replays again and again, while the innocent suffer, and Mother Earth cries out in pain for her children, for future generations, those with the dreams unfulfilled, and a simple wish denied.