Tornado on the Playa
I wish my phone video worked out; otherwise the desert tornado described here would make a more believable poem. It's true, though. I watched it for over ten, fifteen minutes, mouth agape.
Stretching into desert sky
A pillar of sand widens in dry
Heat of summer's peak. Creeping
Inch by gritty inch across the land
Nothing stands within its reach.
Only remnants of an ancient beach
Where water disappeared, leaving
Nothing more than bleached and briny sand.
Photo generated by Substack’s AI feature. Alas, it could not imagine the straight column of debris syphoned off the playa by the powerful swirl of wind I witnessed.
I found this Reddit video (cryptocam72) came the closest to showing the dust devil I saw just hangin’ out on Misfit Flats in Stagecoach, NV east of Carson City. While the commenters dispute the tornado-ness of these big dust devils, they really can knock you off your feet, throw your vehicle into the air, suck your house (Toto and all) into the next county. I congratulate the courage of this videographer, but maybe not the person’s wisdom. Luck! Pure luck to see it this close without taking flight.
If you enjoyed this poem, feel free to explore more poems, stories, and essays in the Ring Around the Basin Archives. I also love reading your comments, so please share your thoughts. Let’s start a conversation.
I've always wondered how these form since there aren't any clouds like with regular cyclonic action. Like most people who live or travel a lot out west I've been hit many times with the small dust devils, but do not want to be hit with one this size!
Beautiful poem - thank you so much for the link to the video - absolutely incredible (not to mention both beautiful and terrifying)!