Expanse of Desert

Timezra

At night the Joshua trees must
make strange shapes: palsied
flailing fists, sagging arch of
anguished shoulders, sunken omphalos,
the gentle contrapposto
of arthritis;

A right hand fingers Mercury
and mountain trailings, mines and
hermits.
No Service say the signs.

Behind, the terra cotta
lags, ends
back at the hotel
and swimming pool, where I ate
a fine breakfast.  I'm stopping

halfway from Pah-
rump to Reno to impose myself
as one among
the blank Nevada majesty.