Mirage The desert stretches infinite,
a pulse of heat shimmering,
where mirages dance in the distance,
a whimsical play of light and shade.

Sand slips beneath my feet,
each grain a whisper of time,
where shadows weave their secrets,
curled in the arms of the ancients.

I long to reach the horizon,
but know the true journey is inward,
as I embrace the stillness within,
a refuge in the endless expanse.

• Ruth Padel