Nature's Sandbox

Golden sandbox of nature stretching across millions of miles;
Dunes tossed by the wind, reformed into piles.
Continually shuffling shape shifters swept
along by siroccos are willing to accept
their new destination without argument.

Limited water supplies trickle to underground streams
racing to find respite from the heat’s extremes;
sheds the parched surfaces leaving in tow
painted desert flowers that suddenly grow,
bloom and die after the random rain’s retreat.

An oasis in the distance with gracefully swaying palms
provides weary, worn travelers gentle balms
from their wanderings through scorched vales
and arid plains in which only the sun prevails
leaving  the sand unchanged, yet ever changing.

Cursed barren wasteland to some who traverse its soil.
Yet to others who examine deeper foils,
it is a mysterious treasure chest that hides
ancient relics buried deep inside
its brackish caverns waiting to be discovered.