Sonoran Paradise

He saw the desert iguana
On the ledge in the arroyo
where they played and ran
Everyday among the saguaro,

Hiking, playing and eating beans over the fire.
He would climb Agony Mountain
Crawling in the granite caves
With the rattlesnake.

A young boy free to play
And imagine in the Sonoran Desert.
He built forts in the mesquite and
Lay down to feel the cold arroyo floor.

They had wars with trash can lids,
Dirt clods and palm tree branches.
They played in the old mine shafts and
Hung out at the hippie cave.

He hunted quail, dove, rabbits and the coyote.
Felt the flash floods happen and swam
In the remains, rode horses and
Witnessed the colts being born at the neighbors.

The desert iguana is gone now,
Maybe he was one of the only ones to ever see it.
They lived right next to the desert, two houses
Down and he was out there, everyday.