Poetry Of Spirit And Light: Llano Amarillo

White Owl Woman stirs from her dog days slumber and whispers auguries of winter. Her cool breath borne on morning mists consoles vestiges of summer flora. She cajoles prairie denizens to prepare for the lean days ahead. Pockets of wildflowers and first hues of autumn belie her unpleasant forecast.

Far and wide yellow floral bouquets dominate the tapestry of shortgrass prairie straw, yucca, and cacti. A leisurely survey reveals slender spokes of Riddell’s Ragwort, grandiose faces of Annual Sunflowers, defiant stands of Wax Goldenweed blooms, jovial scrambles of False Boneset dreadlocks, thick mounds of Plains Zinnia, and delicate orbs of ripe Trompillo berries. Not to be outdone, Cane Cholla fruit are well on their way to late autumn stardom. Remnants of purple figs still adorn random Plains Prickly Pear cacti. They have nearly run their course as a ground-level smorgasbord for winged and four-legged nibblers.

Cooper and I ramble across the prairie just after sunrise. Nose to the wind, he answers the call of the wild with purposeful forays across the rough terrain. Along a winding game trail, we encounter an arid lands terrapin nimbly navigating obstacles. Cooper pauses and delivers a friendly nudge with his nose. After a short game of peek-a-boo, the Ornate Box Turtle retreats into its shell. We continue our sojourn.

My gait quickens into an exhilarating rhythm of breath and footsteps. The timeless allure of vast prairie expanses under a deep blue firmament invites my heart to sing and soul to take wing. For a brief moment the passage of time becomes irrelevant. I understand eternity.