Take Me Back

Take me back to that hot bristling air,
to the desert sun and dry ground.
Take me back to the summer heat year-round.

I want to see those red cliffs dusted
slightly white from the morning snow.
I want to trek my own trail down
to the pit of Devil’s Bridge.

Those fissured cliffs laugh at me
as my flight goes by. They hold some secret
I do not know.

Those cliffs protect the forgotten ghosts
of towns like Jerome. They shield
the ancient depictions etched
by their first settlers.

Those majestic rocks bounce my name
across the expanse. It whispers in my ear
and dares me to respond. Someday,
dear red rocks of Sedona.

Someday, you’ll see me stroll back in.
I’ll dust my shoes
and dawn my pack. But, for now,
you’ll remain an itch; a constant fixture
in the back of my mind.