Leona

Standing alone beside the desert road

She watches us approach, apprehensive

We stop and soon the stories begin

She walks a few times a week, leaves

George at the car while she explores

Among the wildflowers and sage

In thirty years she's seen the changes

Coyotes, lions, deer, even antelope

Moving to this side of the valley

And then there are the campers

Who cast their litter upon the ground

Empty their tanks to spoil the earth

Chase wild horses on bikes and 4 by 4's

Her face twists with frustration

What can I do but pick up their trash?

We start to go and she waves us on

Say Hi to George when you see him

And turns back to her beloved land.