The Desert

Across the hot and burning land,
A group of people walked through sand;
The wind blew hard from side to side,
As pain and fear walked by their side.

stretched so far and wide,
With nowhere safe for them to hide;
Many started out so strong,
But few survived the road so long.

The children cried for food and drink,
Their mothers feared what they would think;
The fathers walked with heavy feet,
Defeated by the burning heat.

The leaders tried to lead the way,
Though hunger grew with every day;
Anger showed upon their face,
As death moved slowly through the place.

No river flowed, no water came,
The burning sun stayed just the same;
The dry earth cracked beneath their feet,
And every step brought more defeat.

Some became too weak to stand,
And fell upon the silent sand;
No voices spoke, no tears were shed,
watched beside the dead.

The wind kept blowing loud and long,
Like a sad and lonely song;
The people moved with fading breath,
Walking close beside their death.

At last an old man raised his head,
And to the tired people said:

“Do not follow dreams blindly,
Or travel without thinking wisely;
Life is hard and full of pain
For those who rush without a plan.

Prepare yourself before you go,
For suffering may rise like snow;
Courage, patience, strength, and care
Will help you face there.”

The people listened silently,
While the wind blew endlessly;
Some lost hope along the way,
While others lived to see new day.

So traveller walking through this life,
Be ready for its pain and strife;
For life itself is like the sand
Hard to cross and hard to stand.

Only those who stay prepared,
Who work, endure, and are not scared,
Will finally reach the place they seek,
Though the road may make them weak.