Death Valley

The sun awakens across the land
A descolate ground of dirt and sand.
Mountains cast shadows on the valley below,
Heat bares down, unforgiven, untold.

The silence is broken by only the breeze
Gusts of hot air, no rivers, no trees.
No animals to graze, no grass to devour
The heat intensifies, hour by hour.

I've dreamt of this place for many years,
I've listened to the rumours and all of their fears.
Now I stand before you, stunned and unsure,
The water I drink, does nothing at all.

Surrounded by light, but darkened by nature,
The lives you have claimed, the stories that feature.
People flock to see you from near and afar,
Cameras ready, water stacked in their car.

They've heard of the dangers, and laughed in your face,
But take their precautions, you know, just incase.
The pictures of Mars, they remind me of you,
A frightful land of red mountains, it's true.

But there is something about you that holds beauty and awe,
An amazing landscape, I've never seen before.
I respect you, Death Valley - for all that you are,
And I love you and take a piece of you in my heart.

P.S. I stole a rock from your ground, I hope you don't mind ...
A piece of Death Valley, now sits here in my hand.