Student Publishing Program ::

Ashley N.

Desperado

Still as stone he waits.

He stands strong and cold,

His fiery ebony eyes scan the horizon,

Searching for the unsuspecting target beneath.

Like a gargoyle carved into the cliff’s steep wall, His

Emotionless eyes take in the arid sunset.The silhouettes

of tall cacti Etch the horizon, and golden rays

emboss each flower and pebble. Not even

such great beauty can touch this proud

being of elite perfection. He feels

not the stinging bite of winter, nor

the gentle kiss of spring. He is alone in

the world and the world is there for his taking.

He knows every rock in the valley as a father knows

Every hair on his baby’s head. He has seen life come

And seen it go. Isolated. Unmoved. Unshaken. The

Eagle stands as close to the starry heights of heaven

As he does to the fiery inferno beneath. This is his

Domain. His orders and missions are set out for him

By Mother Nature. She has bestowed him with

Weapons of unimaginable power and a fortune of

Priceless value. But one gift has not been given.

The creature cannot see color. His world is black

And white. He cannot see the beauty of the rosy

Red cactus flowers, he only sees an ugly bristly

Plant. He cannot see the beautiful rainbow and

So he grudgingly endures thousands of storms

Without ever being able to see what makes it

All worth the while. And so we too stand.

Alone in our own world, proud and blind.

We stand overlooking our riches and gold.

Isolated. Unmoved. Unshaken. We too

Go about our lives seeing the worst,

And failing to see the color that laces

Each and every storm each cactus in our

Busy life. Is the world black

and White or in color?

It is all in how

One sees the

World.