Sandstorm

By Brandon Marlon


 

A fortnight from their oasis destination,

wayfarers collapse amid dunes swirling

with the onset of seasonal bluster

heralding a truculent tempest on the horizon,

potentiated by a candent orb

whose rays ablate the weary.

 

The anarchic clime renders their complexions

sallow and blowsy, their brows rugose.

Once adipose, tabescent beasts pule

one last plaintive time then succumb

in the airless waste turned charnel,

their entera putrefying beyond recognition.

 

When weeks from now winds subside

and blanched bones are exhumed,

no necropsy will be deemed necessary

by aghast beholders who,

traversing a landscape sculpted anew,

mutter thanks for gentler fortunes.

*

Brandon Marlon is a writer from Ottawa, Canada. He received his B.A. in Drama & English from the University of Toronto and his M.A. in English from the University of Victoria. His poetry was awarded the Harry Hoyt Lacey Prize in Poetry (Fall 2015), and his writing has been published in 185+ publications in 25 countries. www.brandonmarlon.com.

Next: