Desert Dweller

In a poem, each fragment of life becomes myth.

Images come to life, yet not literally.

The poet’s world is metaphor,

meaning and images layered like a birthday cake.

Neither sentimental nor inscrutable,

poets cultivate artistic readiness;

readiness to be surprised,

readiness to be inspired by words and gestures,

readiness to be moved by sensations:

The colors of a sunset,

a child’s laughter, the burn of a jalapeño,

the scent of a lover’s perfume,

and the feel of their soft caress.

At the poet’s table, sweat and tears flow freely

from the imaginary heat of the jalapeño.

© 2026 Bruno Talerico

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