Weekly musings on the arts and current events.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Desert Winds


In the movie Lawrence of Arabia, the American reporter asks Lawrence why he loves the desert. "Because it is clean" he answers.

It is the wind that sweeps the desert clean. It trims deciduous leaves and fronds from the trees, shakes the dust off the rocks, and refuses to ever let the air grow stale.

Once the wind starts cycling, it blows all day and well into the night. It sounds like a base drum played with wire brushes. When it crescendos, the sky opens its throat and croons in an alto range: a chorus or an aria, but women's voices, no longer young.

For the traveler, the wind is a bullying antagonist. For those seeking calm, the wind is a torment. But for those who can find calm within, while the elements rage, the wind is like the music of Beethoven: both arousing and soothing with its passion.


Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Red, Yellow and
Black Streak” (1924)

6 comments:

Paula Slade said...

You have a lovely way with words - beautiful post!

TallTchr said...

Thank you, Paula.

emmiegray said...

It is quiet here
in the eye
of the hurricane
I carry it with me
It does not carry me

Hi! Joel kindly directed me here, I am enjoying my visit. 8-)

TallTchr said...

I'm not sure who Joel is, but I thank him, and I'm glad to know you're out there. Did you write that lovely hurricane poem?

emmiegray said...

Joel = you workout at the same gym, he said you discuss politics and philosophy, passed along your blog address, he passed it on to me assuming, quite correctly, that I would enjoy it.

I especially enjoyed the 'Solace of Poetry' post. I do believe that there are things we cannot express otherwise.

Yes, your post reminded me of my hurricane 'mantra'...thank you.

TallTchr said...

Thank you again. I should be seeing Joel this morning.