Spirits of the Desert

**On a cold desert night, I walk ever slowly, exhausted and burned up by the noon. I feel my heart thumping in my chest, forcing thickened blood into shrinking veins. I can barely feel my feet, numbed out by the desert sand, they have become burdensome logs, moving through the aid of some external force other than myself. In my quest for peace, I have only found myself in pieces. My body, now a perfect reflection of my mind, I slump to the ground and await death, only to be met by a generous gust of wind. My mind, gracefully swept away from its mortal prison, I float gently amidst the cool desert air, peaceful, calm and surrounded by the spirits of the desert. Encouraged by their whispers of benevolence, I slowly fall back into my battered body, and proceed to my salvation beyond the dunes.**