Months elapse without rain and
the sun blazes over us,
unrelenting.
The air is dense and
crackling dry.

We search the sky for clouds,
for any hope of change, but
the deep blue is
painfully endless.

Birds huddle in shady patches
in the sand, their beaks open,
their songs muted.
Coyotes lope through
the ominous dawn,
their ribs showing.

We gather inside
in sterile rooms,
air conditioners blowing,
and we watch shows about
Norway and Sweden where
snows drift high and waterfalls thunder,
where rain
is plentiful and
sustaining.