Citadelle

Mornings that once were clear
Fire now feeds ash to air
Ghost towns & Joshua trees
While dust storms rage on Mars,
Summer sun shines on apple farms
Searching for la Citadelle.
August rain, seen from a hotel window
Around me Jupiter and Venus reel
Saturn and Neptune careen.
Dry grass fields, burned out bricks
Bright blue sky, desert hawks wheel
Evening light falls softly, quiet glow.
Searching for la Citadelle.
White van forges miles of road
Across burned out fields a coyote roams
Transcribe minutes into many years
My life-story, napkin-scribbled on a knee.
Dusty shelves on walls, books unread
Barnstorming hobo, balanced on a wing.
Searching for la Citadelle.