The sun scorched desert lies in wait.
Implacable but patiently
Its moving contours undulate
moving swiftly but silently.

There are no landmarks men can see
to know exactly where they are
On every side hostility
the desert’s not particular.

They have no way to navigate
across the ever changing sea
of endless dusty real estate
which alters imperceptibly.

The sunlit slopes and shadows change
more quickly than men think they can
The desert’s free to rearrange
the landscape and so baffle man
.
That he despairs surrenders to
the tactics that he cannot fight.
Then as so many travellers do
is lost forever to men’s sight.

Implacable hostility
the desert show the human race
and also its ability.
To erase men and leave no trace.

Though sometimes sun bleached bones appear
by constant friction polished clean
Then just as quickly disappear
almost as if they’d never been.

The sun scorched desert lies in wait
today as it has always done
For foolish men to challenge fate.
Though very seldom men have won.

23-Feb-08

ivor or ivor.e hogg

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/high-stakes-for-friend-thad/