The Magic of La Duna

A bit north of La Paz in a remote desert hideaway is La Duna, an ecological retreat center. Here are some La Duna-inspired poems.

Gift of Water

Hot sand, hot sun, piercing, brewing, wavering
We find shelter in the shade
Under the palapa
In the chill of the night

Oh! The majestic Cardón
These cactus skyscrapers that rule the desert
With giant arms and armor of barbed thorns
Stand sentry—and warn of desert peril



Nevertheless, we enter and climb the canyon path
We follow the stream
And find delicate blooms
We see nature's beauty on the canyon wall

So precious is the water, so rare
Along the way we discover nature's cruelty
La vaca pobrecita—
Lay dying of thirst on the desert floor



Ode to La Luna

Low on the horizon
In the early evening afterglow of sunset
Between the outstretched arms of a mighty Cardón
Rises La Luna

You are the goddess of the desert
You create shadows in the night
Shadows that move as you move across the sky
You outshine the brightest stars





Full and luminous,
You mock our adoration
You do not hear our songs or smile at our poetry
Each night you arrive later
Each night you arrive changed

And eventually, despite our platitudes, you disappear
The shadows in the night no longer move
The shadows in the night no longer appear