The desert can change you. If you let it.
Even though it was nearly November when I arrived in Las Vegas, a surprising number of desert plants were in bloom, their radiant colors speckled across the rocky landscape. In light of this, I’ve written a poem about the beauty I found, and a surprising similarity that I only realized much later.
We rise above red granite
Blooming under desert stars
Now thriving on solid ground
Our petals red as Mars
A weary traveller draws near
And admires us for a while
Watching bees in pollination
We see he can’t help but smile
We rise above red granite
Yet our blooms are sadly fleeting
Our time short upon this planet
The season is retreating
A weary traveller departs
What is his unending quest?
Is it his way of improving?
Perhaps loose roots are blessed
We rise above red granite
Did he grasp our unique powers?
Ever changing, always moving
What a strange Desert Flower
— Bonus —
Marco appears in all 6 photos in the accompanying photo gallery. If you’re new to the “Where’s Marco” game, it’s similar to “Where’s Waldo” or “I Spy”, and it’s totally fun!
Learn how to play →
Then find him in the photos! →
Coming up Next:
I explore one more landmark in Las Vegas before I continue onward to Denver: The legendary Red Rock Canyon. And in the process, I found more perspective than I bargained for:
All accompanying photos are in the UNLV photo gallery. With so much free, high-quality content, why not tell a friend and share this article?