87 Desert Poems Describing Beauty of the Deserted Land
Deserts, with their vast and barren landscapes, have captivated the human imagination for centuries.
From poets to artists, the allure of the desert has inspired countless works of art.
Desert poems, in particular, capture the beauty and mystery of this unique environment.
In this article, we will explore different categories of desert poems, including famous, funny, inspirational, short, long, rhyming, and children’s desert poems.
We will also delve into specific themes such as love, sunset, and the Sahara, and showcase some of the most beautiful poems on desert that celebrate the desolate yet enchanting world of the desert.
Famous Desert Poems
Here, we will explore some of the most famous poems about desert and the ways in which they capture the essence of this awe-inspiring environment.
1. Desert Places
by Robert Frost
Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.
The woods around it have it – it is theirs.
All animals are smothered in their lairs.
I am too absent-spirited to count;
The loneliness includes me unawares.
And lonely as it is, that loneliness
Will be more lonely ere it will be less –
A blanker whiteness of benighted snow
WIth no expression, nothing to express.
They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars – on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.
2. Desert
by Arthur Crew Inman
Sands, unbroken by mosque or minaret,
Unstruck by tower or battlement;
Sands, endless, unbounded, eternal;
Sands, quivering with reflected heat,
Undulating as waves upon a frozen sea,
Conjoining the sky in a coppered haze
Where monstrous demons, sight-conjured,
Tread reelingly a dance of sun-desire,
Twisting and turning in a burning maze,
Tireless, grotesque, sinister.
Billow on billow of extended barrenness
Horizons unto the uttermost beyond,
As endless as the vast, unclouded firmament
Within whose scintillating waste of blue
The sun’s wide curvature burns far and still.
No spot of verdure meets the ever-seeking eye,
No icy pool where anguished thirst may be slaked,
No green oasis rearing crested palms aloft.
None of these, but in their stead,
Against the palpitating sheet of heat
Fantastic scenes appear and disappear,
Mocking mirages that quicken the eye with hope.
Magic cities stretch, white-walled, their rampart lengths,
Gay with a thousand fluttering pennons;
Swift, heeling ships on sparkling waters ply,
Each prow a-dazzle with the wind-flung spray;
Broad-limbed trees spread emerald shade
By charmed springs in forest deeps;
Cascades, all silverly gleaming,
O’er-leap some greeny-ferned hillside;
Plains, diapered with verdant flowers, reach afar,
Luring wearied feet to tread imagination’s way,—
Empty visions of an empty land
Born of a brain whose nucleus is fire.
3. Desert of Arabia
by Robert Southey
How beautiful is night!
A dewy freshness fills the silent air;
No mist obscures, nor cloud, nor speck, nor stain,
Breaks the serene of heaven:
In full orbed glory yonder moon divine
Rolls through the dark blue depths
Beneath her steady ray
The desert circle spreads
Like the round ocean girdled with the sky
How beautiful is night
Who at this untimely hour
Wanders o’er the desert sands?
No station is in view,
Nor palm-grove, islanded amid the waste.
The mother and her child,
The widowed mother and the fatherless boy,
They at this untimely hour
Wander o’er the desert sands.
She cast her eyes around,
Alas! no tents were there
Beside the bending sands,
No palm-tree rose to spot the wilderness;
The dark blue sky closed round,
And rested like a dome
Upon the circling waste.
She cast her eyes around,
Famine and Thirst were there;
And then the wretched mother bowed her head,
And wept upon her child.
4. A Desert Story
by Jonathan Moya
The desert scorched their lips,
broke the heart of their embrace-
a pink blister on their foreheads
the sun’s reminder on how impossible
it will be to hold on to these knowings.
He will be left standing alone
in the swirl of shadows and dust,
abandoned by the mountains,
living only in the patina of
dwellings turning to relics.
She will drag the dead deer they hit
off the hood of the red mustang, leaving
it to wither just beyond the white lines.
The blood will stay. So will the dent. In years,
the cracked windshield will be a spiderweb.
One day, when this piece of metal overheats,
she will rest her feet out the window,
and realize that it’s time to raise the hood,
and walk away into the dessert, just
vanish into the old dust and shadows.
Her grandfather seeing her vacant
armless chair empty by the fireplace
will teach her son how to handle a rifle.
The boy will close his eyes, pull the trigger.
The deer, he shot, will be left alone in the dust.
5. The Lure of the Desert Land
by Madge Morris Wagner
Have you slept in a tent alone—a tent
Out under the desert sky—
Where a thousand thousand desert miles
All silent round you lie?—
The dust of the aeons of ages dead,
And the peoples that trampled by?
Have you looked in the desert’s painted cup,
Have you smelled at dawn the wild sage musk,
Have you seen the lightning flashing up
From the ground in the desert dusk?
Have you heard the song in the desert rain
(Like the undertone of a wordless rhyme?)
Have you watched the glory of colors flame
In its marvel of blossom time?
Have you lain with your face in your hands, afraid,
Face down—flat down on your face—and prayed,
While the terrible sand storm whirled and swirled
In its soundless fury, and hid the world
And quenched the sun in its yellow glare—
Just you, and your soul, and nothing, there?
If you have, then you know, for you ve felt its spell,
The lure of the desert land,
And if you have not, then I could not tell—
For you could not understand.
6. Where Have You Gone, My Love
by Hamida Yamin
Where have you gone?
I am lonely and forlorn
We swore of not parting ever
You’ve vanished in a wink, what’s the matter?
We promised to be together in rain and sunshine
The sun and moon be eclipsed but you’ll be mine
We are made for each other, you said
You brought me the gift of roses red
Where are those promises, where are those days?
The games in moonlight and seashore plays
The sky of my life is now overcast
I am bewildered, I am aghast
Lost are those whispers, lost are those songs
The replay of past moments my crying heart longs
My happiness has withered, my joys are gone
My heart is a desert where thorns have grown
7. Sand of the Desert in an Hour-Glass
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The sun beats down on the desert sand,
Old Pinto plods wearily on.
The heat of hell is on this land,
Its smoke shimmers languidly.
Green grasses, flowers and trees rise
Beside swift-running, noisy waters,
Then fade away before my eyes—
Nothing is there, nothing but desert sand.
Dim in the distance against the sky,
A haven of rest, the mountains bulk.
“Oh, God! Must we die
When life lies yonder?
Must these drifted sands be our tomb
Without mark or monument?
Must this be our doom . . .
A pile of bleaching, wind-blown bones?”
* * * * * * * * * *
“Come, Pinto, we can make it;
We’re going thru!”
8. Deeply Moving Thought
by Liam Mcdaid
A thousand echoes
whispering through the deep seashell
As the common bond between us
brushing sands
is lovingly holding
Sweet gentle tenderness
On desert dry lips
winds of change kiss
Looking towards the mountains
snow covering her face
White clouds cap the head
Just a plain country boy
Drifting away with shadows of a past life’s pain
Holding dreams
finding your love completes the circle of a promise
Believing something greater exists
As the birds sing over amazing grace
Searching the high plain
Blue holds heaven’s vision
As a cold wind alone cuts clean to the marrow
9. Ozymandias of Egypt
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away;”
10. To the Desert
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
I came to you one rainless August night.
You taught me how to live without the rain.
You are thirst and thirst is all I know.
You are sand, wind, sun, and burning sky,
The hottest blue. You blow a breeze and brand
Your breath into my mouth. You reach—then bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
You wrap your name tight around my ribs
And keep me warm. I was born for you.
Above, below, by you, by you surrounded.
I wake to you at dawn. Never break your
Knot. Reach, rise, blow, Sálvame, mi dios,
Trágame, mi tierra. Salva, traga, Break me,
I am bread. I will be the water for your thirst.
Funny Desert Poems
Humor and desert may not seem like a natural pairing, but some poets have found a way to inject levity into their depictions of the barren landscape. Now, we will explore funny poems about desert.
1. Desert Limerick
by Juan Olivarez
There once was a drunken old man,
Who stumbled across desert sand.
And into Teddy Bear spines,
He fell and lost his mind,
Screaming, I dropped the beer from my hand.
2. Could You Hug a Cactus?
by Phillip Van Wagoner
What if a cactus felt really bad?
Hurt and depressed and truly quite sad?
Feeling unwelcome or feeling unliked,
Not feeling like dealing with being all spiked.
The desert might not be a whole lot of fun.
A tumbleweed isn’t much conversation.
What if it started to share all its fears?
Cry a small cry with its cactus-juice tears?
What if it gave all your heartstrings a tug?
Could you do the deed, could you give it a hug?
3. Red Stains
by Allen Tate
In a pyloned desert where the scorpion reigns
My love and I plucked poppies breathing tales
Of crimes now long asleep, whose once–red stains
Dyed stabbing men, at sea with bloody sails.
The golden sand drowsed. There a dog yelped loud;
And in his cry rattled a hollow note
Of deep uncanny knowledge of that crowd
That loved and bled in winy times remote.
The poppies fainted when the moon came wide;
The cur lay still. Our passionate review
Of red wise folly dreamed on . . . She by my side
Stared at the Moon; and then I knew he knew. And then he smiled at her; to him ’twas funny—Her calm steel eyes, her earth–old throat of honey!
4. Journey Through a Desert
by Raghav R
Vast expanse of endless sand
Greets you in the desert land,
Wherever your eyes turn
To the endless sand they return;
Horizon kisses the sand on all sides,
Ocean of sand everywhere, nothing besides,
Sand dunes sprout their heads
As each traveller his way threads;
Desert storm rushes in great speed
Tossing into the sky sand and weed
Causing a sand dune where there’s none
And flattening the dune where there’s one;
Somewhere is the oasis, a sort of lake
Where travellers their thirst slake,
Water, trees and the lush greenery
Provides them with exquisite scenery;
Ship of the desert, the ever-present camel,
A sturdy and dependable mammal,
Waits with patience and grit
Ever ready to move and perfectly fit;
Burning heat wraps one in a shroud
Like a relentless rebellious crowd,
On and on move men and the camel,
The anxious men and the doughty mammal;
Robed from head to toe,
Camels marching in a neat row,
Travellers brave their way,
Riding along night and day;
The sun relinquishing his hold,
Like mist, down comes the cold,
The desert is no longer hot,
But in the grip of cold caught;
The orange sun brightens the sky,
The desert comes alive by and by,
The relentless march begins again,
Men and the beast their journey regain.
5. What’s Cooking
by Katherine Stella
mojave desert
one hundred and one in shade
can cook egg on rock
6. I Miss You
by Sharon De Fazio
I miss you,
like the sky misses the stars.
like the streets when there are no cars.
like a government that has no laws,
like music, when it is on pause.
I miss you,
like the desert misses the rain
like an addict without cocaine,
like a kiss that misses lips
like actors without their scripts.
7. Shameful Morning
by JSLambert
not sure how she got here
only know she needs to leave
underneath the stranger
my arm numb; asleep,
mouth a desert.
a hundred dead cigarettes dance my tongue dry
princess of night
exposed by light.
get me out of this;
another dreaded morning mess.
bed broken
along with my will.
I swore never again;
the lie is half the thrill.
Inspirational Desert Poems
The harsh conditions of the desert can inspire a sense of awe and wonder, and many poets have used this landscape as a backdrop for their most inspirational works. We will explore some of the most uplifting and inspirational poems about desert.
1. Flower in the Desert
by Christy Ann Martine
Like a flower in the desert
I had to grow in the cruelest weather,
holding on to every drop of rain
just to stay alive.
But it’s not enough to survive,
I want to bloom beneath the blazing sun,
and show you all of the colors
that live inside of me.
I want you to see what I can become.
2. Mirage of the Desert
by Anonymous
The desert spreads out, a vast expanse of sand,
A land of heat, where few creatures can stand,
Where sunbeams dance and shimmer on the ground,
And every gust of wind creates a hollow sound.
The sand dunes rise and fall, like waves of the sea,
The shadows of the cacti stretch out to be free,
The rocks and stones lie in their own repose,
A symphony of silence, the desert knows.
The sun beats down, relentless and fierce,
The heat rising up, like a boiling pierce,
Mirages dancing in the far-off horizon,
Whispers of water, an illusion, no need to reason.
The desert’s creatures, resilient and strong,
Have learned to survive, a battle lifelong,
The rattlesnake coils, the scorpion stings,
The camel roams, a majestic king.
The colors of the desert, so subtle and serene,
Pale shades of yellow, of brown and green,
A canvas of nature, a picture in time,
The beauty of the desert, a treasure to find.
The night falls, and the sky turns black,
A blanket of stars, like a cosmic track,
The silence is broken by the coyote’s howl,
A reminder of the wildness that prowls.
The morning sun rises, and the desert awakes,
A new day dawns, and the land vibrates,
The air is alive, with the buzz of flies,
The smell of dust, as the sun fills the skies.
The desert is harsh, but also serene,
A place of contrasts, a world in-between,
Where life and death are never far apart,
Where the spirit is tested, and the soul finds a start.
So, let us embrace the desert’s grandeur,
And its mystery that lures,
For in its vastness, we can find a way,
To discover ourselves, and our true path to stay.
3. The Desert Flower
by Stefan Valicia
It waits impatiently,
A lonely, isolated seed,
Hiding in a crevice of the parched earth.
Everything it needs to grow, blossom and bloom
Seems at hand.
But sadly, something is lacking
Remaining just out of reach.
Something is missing!
It longs to break out of it’s hard skin,
As it is warned by the Spring Sun.
Yet it’s a prisoner of its own cocoon,
Stagnating in the wind swept soil.
Waiting for something,
It has never felt before
To set it free!
At first in intermittent drops,
Soon in a steady downpour,
Tears from heaven at the seed’s plight,
Kicking up tiny plumes of dust,
Across the dry desert surface,
The Spring rain arrives at last!
The seed is soaked in this
Stream of welcome wetness
That seeps down into the depths
Where it has hidden
For eternity.
Finally, all self-doubts vanish.
The desert flower sprouts, grows,
Blooms!
She looks round herself,
Smiling upon a world
That has been patiently
Awaiting her arrival
For Ever.
4. Rain in the Desert
by John Gould Fletcher
The huge red-buttressed mesa over yonder
Is merely a far-off temple where the sleepy sun is burning
Its altar fires of pinyon and toyon for the day.
The old priests sleep, white-shrouded;
Their pottery whistles lie beside them, the prayer-sticks closely
feathered.
On every mummied face there glows a smile.
The sun is rolling slowly
Beneath the sluggish folds of the sky-serpents,
Coiling, uncoiling, blue black, sparked with fires.
The old dead priests
Feel in the thin dried earth that is heaped about them,
Above the smell of scorching, oozing pinyon,
The acrid smell of rain.
And now the showers
Surround the mesa like a troop of silver dancers:
Shaking their rattles, stamping, chanting, roaring,
Whirling, extinguishing the last red wisp of light.
5. Flower in Desert
by Ramesh Rai
She sowed a seed of love
in the desert with an anticipation
to see the seed sprouting from
womb of desert, blossom to her
full youth and verginiy, will cherish
the stars to enlighten each grain.
She’ll ask the moon to lend her cold
to embellish her each petal with
morning dew ignited with morning star
The first ray of sun will hug her
inlaid her with jewel of fragrance
adulate the breeze to carry her fragrance
to her beloved to make him realise
her existence and her fragrance
will repel the hot wind and save
him from searing moment and inflammation.
Desert flower is a squashing vanilla
to atone all travelers of oasis
to cheer the life for a new look
6. Went to the Desert
by Peter Menkin
Moses meets God in the inner Desert
and leads those in slavery outside.
There are two deserts:
The invitation, the inside us that is the other/
Merton calls this the great self within
that is the God within us.
(The ineffable now of truth.)
Entailing the creator,
we are in failure invited
into another truth,
the abandonment into the word.
For the Oblate (for me), getting up early,
God very seldom comes as a gentle invitation.
It comes as an assault on our invitation.
The Gospel only makes sense to the poor,
(the weakness of the poverty of our humanity.)
We are all struggling with the ideal of our body,
of a woman and of a man.
The Little Book notates poverty of spirit–
a Little Book:
New look at spirituality,
new look at being human,
new look at who God is.
The Little Book notates entering into
the dying and stripping–
stripped with everything
and just being left with the now.
A cup of wine becomes sacred.
A desert allows us to find a meaning
(a place) in the sacred.
Cup of wine
a desert allows burning bush yes.
This flow is within us and other people.
There is surrender here.
There is surrender there.
Without doing and
not going against the nature of things
we have to go where
we are fed by Christ.
God takes Moses into the heart of God.
7. Desert Dreams
by Anonymous
The desert, a land of endless dreams,
Where the sun beats down, and the sand gleams,
A world of contrasts, of light and dark,
A place of mystery, where secrets embark.
The dunes stretch out, like waves of the sea,
A shifting landscape, where nothing is as it seems,
The rocks and stones, lay scattered around,
A testament to the power, of this barren ground.
The sky, a canvas of blue, so vast and clear,
A place of refuge, where the soul finds a frontier,
The stars at night, twinkle and shine,
A reminder of the infinite, and the divine.
The creatures of the desert, masters of survival,
Have learned to thrive, in this world of denial,
The rattlesnake, with its venomous bite,
A reminder of the danger, that lurks in the night.
The cacti, stand tall, with arms outstretched,
A symbol of resilience, in this land, so wretched,
The coyote’s howl, echoes in the night,
A reminder of the wildness, that is the desert’s might.
The sun, a blazing inferno, a force to be reckoned,
A reminder of the power, that can’t be forsaken,
The heat, relentless, yet the desert thrives,
A place of beauty, where the spirit survives.
The desert, a land of endless possibilities,
A place of wonder, where the soul finds its identities,
Where dreams come alive, and hope takes flight,
A place of beauty, where the heart takes delight.
The desert, a place of solitude, yet not alone,
A connection to nature, that is rarely shown,
A world of peace, where the mind finds calm,
A land of promise, where the heart finds a balm.
So let us embrace, this land of dreams,
Where the heart finds solace, and the soul redeems,
For in the heart of the desert, we can find,
A connection to nature, and a peace of mind.
8. Sands of Serenity
by Anonymous
The desert, a world of endless sand,
Where the sun beats down, on this barren land,
A place of solitude, where time stands still,
A land of beauty, where the heart can fill.
The dunes, like waves of gold, stretch far,
A shifting landscape, so wondrous and bizarre,
The rocks and stones, lay scattered in the sand,
A testament to the power, of this harsh land.
The sky, so vast, so blue and clear,
A place of refuge, where the soul finds a frontier,
The stars at night, twinkle and shine,
A reminder of the infinite, and the divine.
The creatures of the desert, so strong and fierce,
Have learned to survive, in this world of dearth,
The scorpions and spiders, the snakes and lizards,
Each one a warrior, in this land of blizzards.
The cacti, with their thorns so sharp,
Stand tall, a symbol of resilience, so stark,
Their flowers, so delicate, yet so rare,
A burst of beauty, in a world so austere.
The sun, a burning ball of fire,
A force of nature, so intense and dire,
The heat, relentless, yet the desert thrives,
A land of wonder, where the heart arrives.
The desert, a world of serenity and peace,
A place of beauty, where the heart can release,
Where the soul can find, a connection so true,
To nature’s power, that is beyond view.
So let us embrace, this world of sand,
And walk the dunes, hand in hand,
For in the heart of the desert, we can find,
A world of peace, and a peace of mind.
The sands of serenity, so calm, so pure,
A world of beauty, so rare and sure,
Let us breathe in the desert’s soul,
And let its power, make us whole.
Short Desert Poems
Sometimes, short poetries about desert are the most powerful. Here, we will explore a selection of short and sweet desert poems that pack a punch.
1. A Tine of Hope in the Desert
by Joan Rooney
Sunset in a southwestern desert
over arid scrubland, and sagebrush,
chaparral and Whipple Mountains
the tynes of a lone saquaro cactus
2. A Thirsty Eye
by L.G.
The ‘arizona’ desert shifts
from afternoon to evening sun
with purple sands, blue skylight drifts,
and orange band that spins undone.
An arid stretch to pass a day,
then colors quench a thirsty eye
with saturated sky array
of fireworks that lights the sky.
It blazes trail across the land
as burning beacon shining bright
and settles down to sleep as planned
until ‘apollo’ lifts the night.
While driving through the twilight glaze,
I stop to catch the face of praise.
3. Heathrow, in transit
by James Watters
The warmth of Nairobi in January is gone now.
Here it’s cold and drizzly, a savannah
of tarmac and metal jumbos before me.
My natural rhythms have given way
to this soaring erratic chase of the sun.
But I return to warmth—the desert heat
of southern Arizona, and the ardent glow
of my heart when I hold you in my arms.
4. Empty Road
by D.E. Navarro
empty road…
through vast flats of red sand
a mesa
miles away
a mesa waves an arm…
no one will see
mesa-guard…
a lone sentinel at
vacant crossroads
deserted
this mesa sees no one…
alone
5. Desert Running
by Madelyn Morgan
The ground pushes me along and the sky’s the limit
I restrict thoughts, so they won’t bleed so
Loudly out my ears
I surrender
Till I’m up in the sky, and I fly down earth step by step
So my shoes nudge a boulder that’s really a rock
And mountains push me along
So my feet probe a correct landing position
To unlimit the sky
My eye levels the blue
And I quickly drop my conscious
Day’s not hot yet, but I am so!
Flying from cracks on the desert
I’m pushed on and the sky’s not my limit!
6. Seed of Concern
by Demetrios Trifiatis
My Lord,
Give us the will
To overcome our heartless indifference for
Those who suffer
So as
Able us to be,
In the ever-stretching desert of apathy, your
Seed of concern to sow!
7. Galleries of Grit
by Hans Ostrom
Desert winds compulsively
sculpt sand. Abstract shapes
rise up, find edges, façades,
contours–then serve up all
they are unto the sculpting force.
The cosmic tourists–sun and stars
and moon–oversee these galleries
of grit, where place is art.
air’s genius, and illusion
of form never tires or expires.
Long Desert Poems
For those who prefer a more immersive experience, there are plenty of longer poems that take readers on a journey through the desert. Here, we will explore some long poetries about desert around.
1. The Flower of the Desert
by Mrs. Hemans
Why art thou thus in thy beauty cast,
O lonely, loneliest flower;
Where the sound of song hath never pass’d
From human hearth or bower?
I pity thee, for thy heart of love,
For that glowing heart, that fain
Would breathe out joy with each wind to rove–
In vain, lost thing! in vain!
I pity thee, for thy wasted bloom,
For thy glory’s, fleeting hour,
For the desert place, thy living tomb–
O lonely, loneliest flower!
I said—but a low voice made reply,
“Lament not for the flower !
Though its blossoms all unmark’d must die,
They have had a glorious dower.
” Though it blooms afar from the minstrel’s way,
And the paths where lovers tread;
Yet strength and hope, like an inborn day,
By its odours have been shed.
” Yes! dews more sweet than ever fell
O’er island of the blest,
Were shaken forth, from its purple bell,
On a suffering human breast.
” A wanderer came, as a stricken deer,
O’er the waste of burning sand,
He bore the wound of an Arab spear,
He fled from a ruthless band.
” And dreams of home in a troubled tide
Swept o’er his darkening eye,
And he lay down by the fountain side,
In his mute despair to die.
” But his glance was caught by the desert’s flower,
The precious boon of Heaven;
And sudden hope, like a vernal shower,
To his fainting heart was given.
‘ For the bright flower spoke of one above;
Of the presence felt to brood
With a spirit of pervading love,
O’er the wildest solitude.
” Oh! the seed was thrown those wastes among
In a bless’d and gracious hour,
For the lorn one rose in heart made strong,
By the lonely, loneliest flower !”
2. Sand of the Desert in an Hour-Glass
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A handful of red sand, from the hot clime
Of Arab deserts brought,
Within this glass becomes the spy of Time,
The minister of Thought.
How many weary centuries has it been
About those deserts blown!
How many strange vicissitudes has seen,
How many histories known!
Perhaps the camels of the Ishmaelite
Trampled and passed it o’er,
When into Egypt from the patriarch’s sight
His favorite son they bore.
Perhaps the feet of Moses, burnt and bare,
Crushed it beneath their tread;
Or Pharaoh’s flashing wheels into the air
Scattered it as they sped;
Or Mary, with the Christ of Nazareth
Held close in her caress,
Whose pilgrimage of hope and love and faith
Illumed the wilderness;
Or anchorites beneath Engaddi’s palms
Pacing the Dead Sea beach,
And singing slow their old Armenian psalms
In half-articulate speech;
Or caravans, that from Bassora’s gate
With westward steps depart;
Or Mecca’s pilgrims, confident of Fate,
And resolute in heart!
These have passed over it, or may have passed!
Now in this crystal tower
Imprisoned by some curious hand at last,
It counts the passing hour,
And as I gaze, these narrow walls expand;
Before my dreamy eye
Stretches the desert with its shifting sand,
Its unimpeded sky.
And borne aloft by the sustaining blast,
This little golden thread
Dilates into a column high and vast,
A form of fear and dread.
And onward, and across the setting sun,
Across the boundless plain,
The column and its broader shadow run,
Till thought pursues in vain.
The vision vanishes! These walls again
Shut out the lurid sun,
Shut out the hot, immeasurable plain;
The half-hour’s sand is run!
3. A Desert Memory
by Bertrand N. O. Walker
Lonely, open, vast and free,
The dark’ning desert lies;
The wind sweeps o’er it fiercely,
And the yellow sand flies.
The tortuous trail is hidden,
Ere the sand-storm has passed
With all its wild, mad shriekings,
Borne shrilly on its blast.
Are they fiends or are they demons
That wail weirdly as they go,
Those hoarse and dismal cadences,
From out their depths of woe?
Will they linger and enfold
The lone trav’ler in their spell,
Weave ‘round him incantations,
Brewed and bro’t forth from their hell?
Bewilder him and turn him
From the rugged, hidden trail,
Make him wander far and falter,
And tremblingly quail
At the desert and the loneliness
So fearful and so grim,
That to his fervid fancy,
Wraps in darkness only him?
The wind has spent its fierce wild wail,
The dark storm-pall has shifted,
Forth on his sight the stars gleam pale
In the purpling haze uplifted.
And down the steep trail, as he lists,
He hears soft music stealing;
It trembling falls through filmy mists,
From rock-walls faint echoes pealing.
Whence comes this mystic night-song
With its rhythm wild and free,
With is pleading and entreaty
Pouring forth upon the sea
Of darkness, vast and silent,
Like a tiny ray of hope
That oft-times comes to comfort
When in sorrow’s depths we grope?
’Tis the An-gu, the Kat-ci-na,
’Tis the Hopi’s song of prayer,
That in darkness wards off danger,
When ’tis breathed in the air;
Over desert, butte, and mesa,
It is borne out on the night,
Dispelling fear and danger,
Driving evil swift a-flight.
4. Sands of Time
by Anonymous
In the heart of the desert, where life is sparse,
Lies a land of magic, a world of farce,
A place where the sands of time run deep,
And secrets are buried, forever to keep.
The sun sets ablaze, painting the sky in hues,
Of red, orange, and gold, a sight to amuse,
The sands, like molten gold, reflect the light,
A dance of shadows, a beautiful sight.
The wind howls, a symphony of sand,
Whipping the dunes, into a raging band,
The air is thick, with the smell of dust,
As the desert speaks, a language robust.
The creatures of the desert, masters of the land,
Have learned to survive, in the scorching sand,
The snakes and lizards, the hawks and vultures,
Each one a warrior, each one a nurturer.
The cacti stand tall, like soldiers of the earth,
Their thorns a warning, of a land of dearth,
The rocks and stones, lie scattered in the sand,
A reminder of the power, of nature’s hand.
The night falls, and the stars light up the sky,
A galaxy of wonders, a never-ending supply,
The silence is broken, by the coyote’s howl,
A reminder of the wildness, that is the desert’s soul.
The morning sun rises, and the land comes alive,
A new day begins, and the world starts to thrive,
The desert flowers bloom, in the early light,
A burst of color, a wondrous sight.
The desert is a land of extremes, of harshness and beauty,
A place of contrasts, a world of subtlety,
Where time and space are never-ending,
And life and death are forever blending.
So let us embrace, the sands of time,
And the mysteries they hold, in their sublime,
For in the heart of the desert, we can find,
A connection to nature, and a peace of mind.
5. For Thomas
by Timothy Hicks
I’m walking out into the gorgeous summer day
and I feel nothing at all;
not the warmth of the sun,
the melodies of songbirds,
nor the cars driving by my street
who haven’t the slightest clue of what just transpired
a mere twenty minutes ago.
Yeah, since the news came to me
not one lighthearted thought comes to mind.
I’m in the back of the store, doing dishes to pass the time
and I can’t help but wander if anyone notices
the blooming roses on my cheeks.
They’d probably say something encouraging like
“Way to attack those dishes!”.
Believe me it’s not for efficiency’s sake,
I’m MAD, and it just so happens to bring emphasis
to the saying “Use a little elbow grease”.
Anymore and I might just a punch a hole through the plastic…
Yeah, since the news came to me
things became way too real.
I no longer felt like radiation that refuses to leave the atmosphere.
No I felt much more akin to a ticking time bomb
in the middle of the Sahara Desert.
I could die at anytime
and it wouldn’t matter what I was doing:
Sitting on the sofa, devouring a bag of Lays
and then passing out on salt overdose,
Or walking my dog because the weather was nice,
and then crossing paths with a baseball sized meteorite.
I try to stick to the bright side of things,
but the fact remains you died too soon, Tom.
I wonder what flashed through you head
just seconds before driving over that IED.
In a selfish way I’d like to think you thought of me
in those final moments, but I know that’s silly.
If I was a piece in your day-to-day life
you would need a microscope
to even notice I was there at all.
As I sit here writing this
I recall the time we watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre,
on Halloween night in the old Stonehouse.
We thought that was gory then,
but it’s most likely child’s play to the stuff
you must have seen in the last three years.
The saddest thing of all for me
is something irrefutably petty,
but it comes to mind nonetheless.
You paid for my movie ticket
when we went and saw The Dark Knight.
I remember how sure and confident I was when I beamed
“I’ll pay you back for this. Next time I see you!”.
Well that ship has long since sailed.
Perhaps someday we’ll meet again, mate,
but for now it’s just a waiting game.
And today that feels like the game where nobody wins
it’s just something we play…
6. The Desert’s Whisper
by Anonymous
The desert’s whisper, a haunting sound,
Echoes through the dunes, so profound,
A voice so soft, yet so commanding,
A call to the wild, so demanding.
The sand, a sea of gold, so pure,
Stretches out, so far, so sure,
A place of beauty, so sublime,
A canvas of nature, in its prime.
The sun, a fiery ball of light,
Beats down, with all its might,
A force so fierce, yet so serene,
A symphony of warmth, so keen.
The cacti, stand tall, with arms outstretched,
A symbol of strength, so entrenched,
Their thorns, a warning, to beware,
A message of survival, so rare.
The creatures of the desert, so alive,
Masters of the land, in which they thrive,
The snakes, the lizards, the birds of prey,
Each one a warrior, in its own way.
The rocks and stones, lie scattered around,
A testament to the power, of this ground,
A landscape so rugged, so raw,
A place of wonder, without flaw.
The night falls, and the sky lights up,
A canvas of stars, so abrupt,
The silence is broken, by the owl’s hoot,
A reminder of the life, that is astute.
The morning sun rises, and the land awakes,
A new day dawns, and the world takes,
The air is alive, with the buzz of flies,
The smell of dust, as the sun fills the skies.
The desert’s whisper, so soft, so true,
A message of hope, for me and you,
A connection to nature, so rare,
A world of beauty, beyond compare.
So let us listen, to the desert’s whisper,
And embrace its beauty, without a flicker,
For in the heart of the desert, we can find,
A world of wonder, and a peace of mind.
7. Bedouin Love Song
by Bayard Taylor
From the Desert I come to thee
On a stallion shod with fire;
And the winds are left behind
In the speed of my desire.
Under thy window I stand,
And the midnight hears my cry:
I love thee, I love but thee,
With a love that shall not die
Till the sun grows cold,
And the stars are old,
And the leaves of the Judgment
Book unfold!
Look from thy window and see
My passion and my pain;
I lie on the sands below,
And I faint in thy disdain.
Let the night-winds touch thy brow
With the heat of my burnings sigh,
And melt thee to hear the vow
Of a love that shall not die
Till the sun grows cold,
And the stars are old,
And the leaves of the Judgment
Book unfold!
My steps are nightly driven,
By the fever in my breast,
To hear from thy lattice breathed
The word that shall give me rest.
Open the door of thy heart,
And open thy chamber door,
And my kisses shall teach thy lips
The love that shall fade no more
Till the sun grows cold,
And the stars are old,
And the leaves of the Judgment
Book unfold!
Desert Poems That Rhyme
Rhyme can be a powerful tool for poets, and many have used it to great effect when writing about the desert. Here, we will explore some of the most memorable poems about desert with rhyming words.
1. The Camel with Thick Eyelashes
by Anonymous
In the desert, so dry and so vast,
A camel wanders, alone at last.
Her thick eyelashes, a shield from the sun,
But her heart heavy, her will undone.
She trudges on, through the sand dunes high,
A ship lost in a sea of sky.
Her hump a burden, her feet sore and worn,
A metaphor for the weight she bears, forlorn.
The heat a prison, the silence a cell,
She longs for an oasis, a place to dwell.
But the desert’s cruel, it gives nothing back,
And the camel’s journey, a lonely track.
With each step she takes, her spirit fades,
As the desert’s cruelty, it invades.
The camel with thick eyelashes walks on alone,
In the desert, a lonely throne.
2. A Desert Flavor
by Anonymous
The dry desert, so parched and vast,
Is like a taste of charcoal cast.
The heat and sand combine to form,
A flavor dry and rough, and worn.
The sun beats down upon the ground,
A bitter taste that can’t be drowned.
Like sand that grinds upon your teeth,
A flavor harsh, no soft relief.
The arid air is like a spice,
That clings and lingers, not so nice.
The breath that burns, and leaves you dry,
A flavor that you can’t deny.
The desert is a desert taste,
A flavor rough, with no sweet trace.
It’s dry, it’s hot, it’s harsh, it’s real,
A taste that time can never steal.
3. Ozymandias of Egypt
by Horace Smith
In Egypt’s sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desert knows:—
“I am great OZYMANDIAS,” saith the stone,
“The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
“The wonders of my hand.”— The City’s gone,—
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.
We wonder,—and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro’ the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragment huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.
4. Desert Wanderer
by Jordan Dickinson
Desert Wanderer with not a cup-
I’ll hold you tight and lift you up-
I’ll give you aid and lend my strength-
And take you far, to a great length-
To see your safety and a healthy smile-
You are worth life, have no self- denial-
I promised you in, a time now gone past-
That my love forever, surely shall last-
For you are my Desert Wanderer dreary-
Take this sorrow and be your eyes so teary-
I promise you now, and in the here after-
You will find love, placed inside my laughter-
We will stay one, together and all-
Always shall I be waiting for your call-
My Desert Wanderer with not a cup-
Hold my hand, I will lift you up-
5. Ghosts of the Desert
by Saurabh Raizada
Tireless barren winds blow over dunes of time
flowing sandy sheets kiss malleable inclines
zephyr’s dainty fingers set dead weeds in motion
mute souls of ballerinas… no sound… no emotions
Towering saguaros stand proud, tall and high
titans of the deserts silhouetted ‘gainst the sky
ghostly tumbleweeds…. an uncanny haunting sight
hurrying and scurrying… blind scroungers of the night
6. Living Desert Peaks
by Adam Byers
Amidst the sands and stones that stretch for miles,
The desert peaks rise high and proud and free,
Their rugged forms a sight that oft beguiles
And draws the eye to their majesty.
They stand alone against the endless sky,
Their peaks aglow with the sun’s fiery light,
Their sides adorned with hues that catch the eye
And paint a scene both wondrous and bright.
The desert peaks are beacons in the land,
Guiding the way for all who dare to roam,
Their steadfast presence lending a hand
To those who wander far from hearth and home.
So let us honor these peaks of stone and sand,
A symbol of strength in a barren land.
7. Desert
by Asad Raza
In the barren desert of loneliness,
Where the winds of sadness blow,
I wander, lost in my own distress,
With nowhere else to go.
The silence echoes, mocking me,
As I search for some reprieve,
But all around, there’s nothing to see,
And my heart can hardly believe it.
In this vast, desolate space,
There could be any hope at all,
But then I see a glimmer, a trace,
Of light that starts to call.
It’s a flame that flickers in the night,
A beacon shining bright and true,
And though the darkness still holds tight,
I know what I must do.
I’ll follow that light, wherever it may lead,
Through the trials and the pain,
And though at times, I may stumble and bleed,
I’ll never give up in vain.
For in this journey through the desert of life,
I know that I am not alone,
And with each step, I leave behind the strife,
And find new strength, unknown.
So let the winds of sadness blow,
And let the deserts stretch so wide,
For in my heart, a light will always glow,
And with it, hope will never subside.
Desert Poems for Children
Children are often fascinated by the desert, and there are plenty of poems that can help them learn more about this unique landscape. Here, we will explore desert poems for kids.
1. Desert Sunset
by Anza Wiedenkeller
Walking up the red mountains for hours
The sun begins to set
I reach for my water and take a big gulp
It feels smooth and wet
Then I smell them, the javelina family
They’re going to bed
A little rat scurries in to a bush
It’s getting darker
My only light
Is the orange and purple of the sky
I sit on a rock and think,
I never want to leave
The saguaro looks like an octopus,
Eight arms
It’s peaceful and quiet,
Sadly, it’s time to leave
“Good night,” I say as I descend
The now purple mountains
2. The Arizona Desert
by Lindsey Weaver
The Sonoran Desert, all pretty and dry.
Cactus and plants and the mountains and sky.
Animals, animals, big and small.
Meat eaters, plant eaters, lions and rabbits.
They all live in the desert, the Sonoran Desert.
My favorite desert on Earth.
If it was gone I’d be very sad, if my desert had ever been gone.
3. Cowboy Cactus
by Carolyn French
A lone cowboy cactus,
stood so courageously,
“Howdy! little partner!”
I’m sure he said to me.
He stood so tall and brave
in his prickly habitat,
I’m sure I heard him ask,
“Has anyone seen my hat?”
His arms were quite ready
for a rustler to come by.
“You watch out for them bandits!”
I’m sure he did reply.
His green prickly outfit
was full of holes so old,
“It’s them darn little critters!”
I’m sure I heard him scold.
When the fading desert sun
shed colors across the sky…
I know I saw him wave
a cowboy cactus goodbye.
4. Gila Privacy
by Carolyn French
I just want my privacy!
Can’t you understand?
I’m not some “monster-wana-be”
that haunts this desert land.
You know, my poisonous bite
is my only defense.
I have no wings for flight,
or smell I can dispense.
I walk much too slow…
with my short beaded legs,
to chase friend or foe,
so I look for placid eggs.
And now, my furry traveler,
I think you ought to flee…
You’re stirring up my hunger,
so let this lizard be!
5. A Day in the Desert
by Jamie DeConcini
The gleaming saguaro stands proud and tall
Showing me its fragrant flowers
A colorful cardinal perches on a palo verde tree
Singing her song of sorrow
While the magnificent sun sets in the pink and orange sky
The extraordinary mountains sit like statues
The sparkling river holds secrets of the past
Now is it dark and the hungry bats start the night’s forage
While the majestic coyotes howl at the glowing, full moon
When suddenly, a soft wind whispers,
“Arizona is amazing!”
The desert life agrees with me.
6. I Wish I Were a Rattler
by Carolyn French
A genuine buckaroo!
The most fearsome snake
the desert ever knew.
I love the way a rattler
“rattles” its tail like a whip;
scaring its enemies by,
then giving them all the slip.
The rattler’s so refined,
and rarely looses control.
A snake that demands respect.
A snake that’s powerful!
Its rattle gives warning to all…
“Back off! or I will fight!”
The desert listens well,
and avoids its deadly bite.
Plus, a rattlesnake has looks
that frightfully appeal,
and I’m tired of being a mouse–
a gourmet rattlesnake meal!
7. O, What a Desert This Is
by Martha Estrada
O, what a desert this is,
There are none like ours’
In our desert there are many animals
That are all different,
There are foxes, rabbits, rats, deer, snakes, bats,
O MY!
As I watch the scaley snake hiss on by, I get the
Creepy Crawlies!
Then snorting on by just to say HI
A Javelina named Gina with her long, black bristles,
Went on by…
OH NO!
What is that I see in the corner of my eye?
What could it be?
Oh, wait
I know,
Run Little Creatyres, Run!
Here comes no fun!
A fully grown bobcat’s son
Is on its way!
Phew!
That was close!
But hey, look there goes a cute Pocket Mouse with a
Furry little friend the Cactus Wren.
Oh No, Oh My!
You’d better bring out that tomato sauce,
Because a Spotted Skunk is about to cross!
What’s that I see peeking out of the poison ivy as
Shy as can be, a Desert Kangaroo Rat is peeking out at me.
Man, am I tired from this long day in the
Sonoran Desert
I think we’d better sit down on this rock…
Oops!
That’s not a rock that’s a
Porcupine
Wouldn’t want to sit on that
Or that will surely hurt A Lot!
Now that the sun is down the
Mexican Freetail bats and the Mastiff Bats
Are out on the prow and ready for a midnight snack!
8. In the Desert Knowing Nothing
by Helen Dunmore
Here I am in the desert knowing nothing,
here I am knowing nothing
in the desert of knowing nothing,
here I am in this wide
desert long after midnight.
Here I am knowing nothing
hearing the noise of the rain
and the melt of the fat in the pan
here is our man on the phone knowing something
and here’s our man fresh from the briefing
in combat jeans and a clip microphone
testing for sound,
catching the desert rain, knowing something,
here’s the general who’s good with his men,
storming the camera, knowing something
in the pit of his Americanness,
here’s the general taut in his battledress
and knowing something
Here’s the boy washing his kit in a tarpaulin
on a front-line he knows from his GCSE
coursework on Wilfred Owen
and knowing something
here is the plane banking,
the go go go of adrenalin
the child melting
and here’s the grass that grows overnight
feeling for him, and knowing everything
and here I am knowing nothing
in the desert of knowing nothing
dry from not speaking.
Beautiful Desert Poems
For many poets, the beauty of the desert lies in its stark simplicity. Now, we will explore some of the most beautiful and evocative poems on desert beauty around.
1. Desert Beauty
by Alfred Ramos
The desert flower blooms in the hot lazy sun
Anticipating Mother Nature to send someone
To photograph the beauty of it all
To take in all the colors of the fall
The warm wind sways her gently to and fro
Dancing mystically, putting on a show
Dispensing aromas you can almost see
Soothing the eyes so magically
Between the fire and the sand
It fits in style to the lay of the land
Its’ thirsty thorns reach out to a mirage
Luring those brave enough to make a charge
To not have seen it would be a sin
It arouses senses that only come from within
It yearns for a loving touch of the human hand
It aches for you to understand
It stands guard as it is its duty
To pronounce itself a desert beauty
2. Sahara
by N. Ellis
The Sahara, a sea of sand and stone,
A land of heat and harsh winds blown,
A place of beauty, yet unforgiving,
Where survival is the daily living.
The dunes rise high, like waves of gold,
A land where stories of adventure are told,
Camels roam, their silhouettes etched against the sky,
As the sun beats down, from on high.
The nomads here, are tough and strong,
Their resilience, a story to be told,
Living in harmony with the land,
Where water is scarce, but spirits are bold.
The desert holds secrets deep within,
A land of mystery and ancient kin,
It’s a place of challenge and test,
But also a place of peace and rest.
The Sahara, a land of contrasts and extremes,
A place of wonder, and unforgettable scenes,
It’s harsh, yet beautiful, where few dare to tread,
A land that leaves an impact, long after one has left.
3. Phantasmagoric Moments
by Yasser Rhimi
For one moment I thought
Moons stars and kingdoms,
Humbly yielded to the spell of your tongue;
For I would never miss such an honour
When my heart still dies in front.
From the gravest yard in my groans,
In those rainy eyes of autumn,
You stole into the fragrance of my desert red bloom;
Despite the venom in my features,
You killed the old beast in my gloom.
For one moment I thought
Flowers, bees, and dew drops
Had never been bleeding forever;
The honey have they made
Fell us in love like a feather.
For one moment I thought
We stumbl’d upon each other.
4. Desert Flowers
by P. Nicoli
Amidst the sand and barren rocks,
Where scorching sun the land mocks,
There bloom the desert flowers,
A sight to see for hours and hours.
With petals bold and colors bright,
They stand out in the desert light,
A symbol of life in a land so dry,
A reminder that beauty can bloom and fly.
The cactus flower, with its delicate bloom,
Opens its petals, in the light of the moon,
Its beauty fleeting, but oh so rare,
A sight to behold, beyond compare.
The desert rose, with its soft pink hues,
Blooms in the sand, like a delicate muse,
It’s a symbol of hope, and resilience,
In a land where life is hard to exist in.
So let us marvel at these desert flowers,
A symbol of life in the driest hours,
For they remind us that even in the toughest conditions,
Life finds a way to bloom with precision.
5. Wild Tuna
by Ricky Muse
why is it easier to look at you
through one eye as opposed to two
when we should be totally
enamored with the thought
that we have come this far
we of flesh and blood, but enemies of spirit
cannot go on this way
a desert of parched emotions
cherry wood furniture atop marble floors
transformed our home into
an oasis of tears and coffee
this trivial mirage under scathing sun light
left us grappling for sustenance
be it water or be it love
empathy should be our cry
we stood hand in hand me and you
now with grey hair for a crown
these life stories on our face
we joust over flashbacks
and weakened rungs
6. The Cactus Flower
by Anonymous
In the desert’s scorching heat,
A sight that’s truly hard to beat,
A symbol of resilience and strength,
The cactus flower, in awe at its length.
It stands tall, in the barren land,
With spines that protect, it takes a stand,
Against the harsh and unforgiving sun,
It persists, a beauty, second to none.
Through storms and droughts, it holds its ground,
A symbol of hope, it can be found,
For in the face of adversity,
It teaches us to be strong and sturdy.
And when the time is right,
It blooms, a sight, a pure delight,
A wonder to behold, a rare gem,
The cactus flower, a desert gem.
With its vibrant hues, and delicate petals,
It’s a reminder, that in this life,
We must be strong, like the cactus flower,
To persevere, with every passing hour.
It’s a symbol of hope,
that even in the bleakest of places,
Beauty can be found,
and strength embraces.
7. Love
by G. Smiley
In the desert, where the heat beats down,
And the sand dunes swirl around,
I found my love, in this barren land,
A love that’s strong and resilient as the sand.
With endless skies and endless plains,
We walked hand in hand, without any strains,
The beauty of the desert, captured our hearts,
A love story, that will never depart.
The sunsets and the sunrises,
The stars that shine in the clear skies,
All witnessed the love we shared,
A love that will always be prepared.
The barrenness of the desert,
Became a canvas, for our love to prosper,
For in the desert, we found our oasis,
A love so pure, so true and gracious.
So let the desert be our witness,
To the love that will forever persist,
For in this barren land, we found our true home,
A love that will continue to roam.
8. In This Desert
by Anonymous
The desert stretches far and wide,
A vast and lonely place to reside,
The sands are hot, the air is dry,
A place of sorrow, where I lie.
The cacti stand like silent mourners,
No water here, just shifting sands,
The wind howls through the barren land,
A haunting tune, of loss and pain.
The stars above, they twinkle bright,
But they bring no solace in the night,
For in this desert I am lost,
With nothing but my thoughts and cost.
The horizon seems so far away,
A mirage, that I cannot sway,
I’ll wander here, till I’m no more,
In this desert, my heart is sore.
Desert Poems about Love
The desert has long been associated with romance and passion, and many poets have used it as a backdrop for their love poems. Now, we will explore some of the most heartfelt and poignant desert love poems.
1. Desert Love
by Andrea Dietrich
Hot. . . white hot Sahara sand am I.
Turning, ever turning, how I burn
white. . . hot white beneath the desert sky.
In search of sweet relief, for you I yearn,
shifting, ever shifting, I’m a dune.
Each particle of me is filled with heat.
I roll beneath the sun of afternoon,
ever passion parched though time be fleet.
I’m drifting to the brink of mad desire.
Cool. . . blue cool, sweet pool that I pursue-
mirages that appear quench not my fire.
Blue. . . cool blue, my remedy is you.
I’m half a continent; my love is vast.
Reveal yourself, Oasis, at long last!
2. Like a Tree in the Desert
by Carol B.
Prick me with your vivid green awareness
Let the white pins that needle me
Diminish into their foggy sham
The bridal wreath that scented our commitment
Now doused in unkept hopes and promises
Moss sprouting venom from hurts battled
Like a fish floating in space with no oxygen
I swam in currents without you
The tank occupied with endless dark clouds
Fraught with fear and loneliness
Love now submerged deep in the recess of my mind
Unclear what is sacred what is trash
I prayed you would see the light
That my white knight would return
This battle is fierce and yours to fight
3. A Resplendence of Sunflowers
by Dale Gregory Cozart
As brief as summer you swept
across my heart’s desert
like a Santa Ana wind’s hot caress.
Now the eastern passes
are still as virgin rocks
unto a land whispering
of forgotten wildflowers.
In your absence marigolds bloom not
with the disappeared mockingbird.
Only as the last petals
of amaryllis wither do I ache.
You brought me a translucence
of amber for my burnished bouquet.
Love was an ebullience of golden wheat,
our laughter a resplendence of sunflowers.
4. One More Peg
by Kash Poet
One more peg
to quench my thirst,
thirst of a desert
nearer to sea
so close to it
yet so far.
One more peg
to forget the pain,
pain of my heart
which I once
offered to you
but you refused.
One more peg
to end this poem,
a poem of love,
love that is lost,
lost in time
never to come.
5. Fifty Shades of Red
by Liam Mcdaid
She indulges in sensorial delights
Marked with the color of ecstasy
The passion she drinks is diluted with eroticism
The moon melts with her gentle gaze
Honey drips from her luscious lips
Like ruby flames sweeping desert dust away
Oasis of churning lava explodes within her fiery spirit
seducing the sun with her golden skin
Far away from Love’s imprisonment
She builds her castle of desires
Imprinted with
6. Out of the Desert
by John Watt
Stiff, stifling, arid air: snakes, lizards, sand,
and cactus. Scorched red rocks and baking skin.
My canteen empty in a barren land –
my romance landscape till first love walked in.
One summer evening under moon’s cool beam,
the desert’s xeric heat no longer cursed.
Lazing with friends. A pool… in walked my dream.
First glance: a tall, cool drink to slake all thirst.
Then as her eyes met mine, my blood ran warm.
My hand touched hers; both temp and pulse were raised.
In time, slow dancing – two bodies conform,
and with that first kiss, fulgent flames soon blazed.
The desert heat from which I’d just emerged
blithely returned, as first love’s swelter surged.
7. Mirage
by Demetrios Trifiatis
My heart,
Believing in the reality of your love,
Followed you into passions’ burning
Desert,
In search of the promised oasis of our
Dreams
Where happiness, you said, so easily could
Blossom
BUT
A mirage your love turned out to be
Thus
Under the sizzling sun of disillusion was
I left,
Sacred oaths taking,
Not to listen anymore
To heart’s fraudulent
Whispers!
8. What Will It Be
by Jerry T Curtis
There’s a storm that we can’t weather
There’s a war that we can’t win
But as long as we’re together
We’re together thick and thin
I know that you said things
I didn’t like or understand
Then my reply would surely sting
Hot and dry like desert sand
So, I’ll lay aside my pride
As you’ll reach to hold my hand
Using love to be our guide
And respect to make our stand
‘Cause there’s a war that we can win
And a storm that we can’t weather
Unless through thick and thin
We can learn to stick together
9. Tryst
by Quoth TheRaven
once two met in rain
to hide tears from prying eyes
and longing in mine
stole away in night
to bargain locked heart’s freedom
you the only key
sat perfectly still
as I sketched it on my mind
the smile you promised
as showers subside
blossoms thirst in desert sands
til return of rain
Desert Poems about Sahara
The Sahara is one of the most famous deserts in the world, and many poets have been inspired by its vastness and beauty. Here, we will explore some of the best Sahara poetry.
1. Sahara Desert
by Susan Mills
Sacred oven like heat
A place where mirages thrive
Desert winds bloom high
Dreaming of rainfall, I pray
Tic Toc, that rain will quench
2. Sahara Desert
by Essama Chiba
Falling in barren plains
No traces of rain in arid lands
Only footprints of spirits
Haunting their own shadows
Begging the questions
Left unanswered
By words buried into cracks
Under the unforgiving sun
And burning heat
Of the Sahara Desert
Even a cactus will bloom
For a day and then it’s done
None escape the desolate wilderness
The undulating waves of sand
Nothing but the echoes
Of passing storms
And the sounds of thunder
Remain above the surface
Of the vast emptiness
3. The Sahara Desert
by Md Shahadat Hossain
This is one of the isolated place in the world
The scorching heat is 136 degree Fahrenheit
For the scarcity of water animals get died
Only they will survive who know how to fight.
The inhabitants of desert are mainly Arabs,
There also live some spectacular animals,
The main plants of there are cactus,
The main transports of there are camels.
The extreme conditions make people hard,
That desert was once tropical forests,
The extreme weather makes it awkward,
That’s why people are crazy for conquests.
Someday the extreme heat will overcome,
There will be raining again and again,
The lives will be full to the brim,
There will be left no sufferings or pain.
4. Sahara Desert
by Antonio Liao
Africa oh! Africa, lays the Sahara the ocean of
desert, fading like a roaring Leon in the meadow of
pasture green spheres upon the shoulder of the fertile
land
wild as the weird wild creature passionately slow
and capture the vast splendid horizon of beautiful
scenery of forested and mountainous valley of
paradise of the East, welcome the canoe of the raging
speed of wind behind the curtail of trouble sky, have
conceived the Sahara Desert
come capture the eye that made to follow the wind
invades like Spartan in the City of Greece, nourish and
emptied the rich nutrient aging plateau of wealth and
leave no mercy beyond filter of imagination
you have come in a thousand enduring beauty
surfing the blue space open skies, where a decade of
envy and thirst lips comes the paramount surprise of
wilderness ghetto of dazzling sand and a zooming wind
to kiss the ground of survival and surpass the burden of
destruction
oh! paramount phenomenon of creation, hide not
the color of your dominion and relinquish the burden
that makes the world crazy, neither the wind laugh as
you blew, nor does the water soak the thirsting body of
unwanted Lilies in the pond
come and let the Lotus of Thailand, spoil the dry land
and pray for the rain to come…..
5. Taking My Camel to Town
by Freddie Robinson Jr.
I’m taking my camel to town,
do you got a problem with that?
I’m gonna get him some fresh water
and clean provender
What cha say,
they don’t sell to his kind?!
He’s the finest mottled brown,
this side of the Sahara Desert sand
This camel got the blackest spots
mixed in
Proof that the sun
calls him his friend
While I’m in town,
I’m gonna buy my beautiful animal
a white straw hat
Do you have a problem with that?
6. Sahara
by Maharshi Bhattacharya
Sahara,
Did you hear the falling rose,
The beating heart that froze,
Did you see the falling fire in the sky?
Did you sleep in a broken home,
As your fear turned into stone,
Did you know the falling rain could turn you blind?
Sahara,
There must be more to life
Sahara,
When will you open your eyes,
Now I’m here, is it time to say goodbye.
Will the children see the sun,
Do they have to hide and run,
Will Mother always smile when she really cries.
Now the ashes paint the day,
And the night turns cold and grey,
Sahara did you walk into the light.
There must be more to life
Sahara,
When will you open your eyes,
Now I’m here, is it time to say goodbye.
7. The Sahara Desert
by Billy TheKidster
The Sahara Desert has enough sand to provide concrete housing for Everyone,
the poor, the middle class, the rich and elite of the entire planet’s population,
with sand leftover, providing housing in the event of a population explosion.
Concrete housing would eliminate deforestation tremendously,
If housing were an automatic for everybody globally,
an enormous mental toll would be relieved from everybody,
and this Free Housing could be provided globally,
within our lifetime literally,
in a global Resource Based Economy.
I for one would love to free myself totally from the bondage of money.
8. The Charity Jump
by Roy Pett
Insanity enters my distorted simple mind
To raise funds for charity for some unknown,
Impulsive, heroic, death defying, maligned
Save children or animals or even Sierra Leone
mind can do anything, though body unwilling
Something not to taxing, not energetic
Ruled out running, climbing, and no swimming
Beginning to feel a little pathetic,
Perhaps drive through the Sahara Desert
Without knowing my destination no route,
Daft thoughts, my mind I need to reassert
Yes, Jump out an airplane with a parachute.
I start training, how to fall to mother Earth
Without those possible leg injuries,
Begin to wonder what my life’s worth
Could be my end, heavens inquiries,
Adrenaline flowing as entering airplane,
Over One thousand feet, ready, yet unwilling
No turning back, Am I brave, stupid, insane,
Will this end in sorrow or will it be thrilling,
Time has come I must jump, mind now blank,
I fall out legs kicking, wind rushing by,
Ninety seconds to Earth, a jolt my heart sank,
canopy had opened, I’m not going to die.
9. Parallel Lives
by Betim Muco
You should know
I’m not who I am
The one who you see living an everyday life
Being paid for the job he’s doing
Sometimes with pains in his back
Or in his knees
The triumph of stupidity giving him migraine headaches
He who reads the papers and hears the news
And drinks with his friends or alone
And smokes an old pipe secretly so his wife doesn’t know
He who worries about the lives of kids
And struggles to write the unwritten
I am a man who makes his life far from here
Who explores unknown places in the earth
Who nips in the bud monstrous hurricanes
Who holds a tight leash on flooding rivers and spins energy
To light up the night
Who reveals through the cosmos the history of creation
Who helps find the names for new stars
Who takes protons apart like shelling walnuts
Entering through quarks
To get at matter’s secrets
Who can make the dumb speak and deaf hear
Tuning in to the world’s cacophony
Who appears in the path of barbarian hordes
And crushes them
Who destroys wild dictators
The minute they step away from their thrones
And people wake up smiling
Who finds the roots of medicines for each disease
Who undoes the greenhouse effect
Saving the world from global warming
And in the evening
After conducting a giant orchestra
And a chorus of a million children in the Sahara Desert
That he has caused to blossom with olive trees and oranges
Returns to his home
To lie only a little bit tired
Near the quiet breathing of his beloved wife.
Desert Poems about Sunset
The desert is known for its stunning sunsets, and many poets have been moved to write about this magical time of day. Now, we will explore some of the most beautiful and evocative desert sunset poems.
1. Desert Sunset
by RoseAnn V. Shawiak
Brilliant yellow sun, touching my eyes and mind
with it’s luminescent beauty as it sits beneath
desert mountains, holding their breath as night-
time falls upon them with a full moon of
luminescent beauty.
2. Sunset on the Desert
by Cowboy Ron Williams
My horse has broken his back leg;
he stepped into a hole.
Some badger made it, sure enough,
back there behind the knoll.
There’s nuthin’ can be done fer him;
I’ll have to put ‘im down
and hike ten miles back to the ranch
or thirteen miles to town.
I hear coyotes howlin’ now,
but they don’t bother me;
I’ve got my six-gun on my hip,
that I can guarantee.
There’s cactus I can cut to get
some water fit to drink.
I’ll set out now, and I’ll be there
much quicker than you think!
3. The Desert Flock
by Grace C. Howes
Down from the mesa’s wind-blown height,
While sunset fires the western steep,
Toward the low shelters of the night
The herder guides his sheep.
They huddle by, sun-drowsed and mute,
As following some magic flute
Four thousand banded sheep, and more,
Across the dusty desert floor.
How many ages, long since hid,
Mankind has shepherded his flocks!
On far Judean plains or mid
The Attic hillside rocks
And here today they seem to wear
An undefined, sweet ancient air,
Shuffling through the sunset glow
As through a world of long ago.
4. A Desert Sunset
by Patrick Kelly
A pink sky surrenders as the sun sinks in the west,
Rays of light burst the clouds and over a mountain crest
The sunset lingers and is cast with beauty abound.
A portrait in color, scattered over a desert of tan and brown.
The yelp of a coyote and the call of a desert quail,
Breaks the sound of silence as evening draws its vale.
The sun, ever sinking as darkness appears on the desert floor.
Soon to devour the light and the night wins once more.
5. Sunset in the Desert
by Anonymous
The sun sets
and the rays reflect
in the sea of sands
Millenniums burn
amid the emptiness
of desert
6. Sun, Sand and Flowers
by Evelyn Judy Buehle
The sunny pleasures of cactus blooms,
brighten aged gold, and sunset rooms,
Like sunbirds flitting in purple plumes,
once dusk has known many perfumes.
Prickly cactus blooms, orange sun gift,
Also enjoyed during the dawn red shift.
Denizens of golden gritty sand, hottest,
creating dunes where the wind is swift.
7. Desert
by Mark Wanless
The call of the desert is wild
The sea relentless
Mountains peek unreachable
Wind blows my tears away
Sunset always beautiful
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the desert is a landscape that continues to captivate and inspire poets around the world.
From the beauty of the Sahara to the stark simplicity of a barren wasteland, the desert offers a unique perspective that has been captured in countless desert poems throughout history.
Whether you’re looking for something funny, inspirational, or romantic, there is sure to be a desert poem that speaks to you.
We hope that this article has provided you with a taste of the many different styles and themes that are found within desert poetry.
If you have a favorite poem for desert or any thoughts to share, we encourage you to leave a comment below.
