Ocotillo

Moody Desert in Black and White

Moody Desert in Black and White

Candle Wood, Coach Whip, Flaming Sword, Jacob’s Staff, Slim Wood, Vine Cactus – all are various names for the Ocotillo cactus.

Found only in the Sonoran desert in the Southwest United States and adjacent Mexico, it is a practical plant. Its branches, covered with spiky thorns, makes a naturally effective fence. Those thorns are sharp, nothing to be reckoned with.

But its silhouette is a source of beauty, rising from the floor of the desert, reaching upwards to the blue skies.

Thorny Issue

Thorny Issue

Thorny Issue © 2008 Bo Mackison

Thorny issues?
Thick thorned branches cut off my path.
Cobwebs patched between the barrier.

But deep in the woods,
the colors were brushed with swirling
purples, mauves, and cool blue-greens.

Reminiscent of a satin quilt
I slept under as a young child.
A bit of sun in an opening in the tree canopy.

Quiet, though.
The birds were silent.
The breezes were holding silent.

I held my breath, silent also.