Mirages of night

As the sun sets gently into the horizon
Sands of gold turn to rust and then silver
The stars peer silently through night's gloom
As darkness unfolds a mystic veil

A tranquil stillness creeps about
Waiting for the spell to be cast
The wind laughs wickedly as it blows
Their slumber broken, the shadows rise

A distant voice begins to sing
A melancholy refrain so familiar
The oft heard strain mysteriously resonating
And the words seeming to linger

In a flash, life breathes where there was none
The splendour, the resplendence of yore
The forgotten dream comes true
A mystic land alive only in lore

Caravans on an unknown journey
Their footprints appear etched in sand
Souls who must travel, but know not where
Reliving the memory of a bygone age

The song seems much nearer now
Flames of a bonfire seem to sway with it
The dark canvas of night is awash with colour
As lissom figures dance to the tune

The dunes look on, enchanted
For even the sands seem to whisper
And the night stops to listen, bewitched
Until a call of grief pierces the desert

Suddenly she appears
Each step deliberate, yet wandering
Unmindful of everyone, in a world of her own
Part of the crowd, and yet so lonely

Silently she makes her way
Slowly, over moon-kissed sands
Gait so graceful, even the stars watch
Their eyes twinkling with mischief

Her ivory bangles shine softly
Her anklets tinkle rhythmic notes
Even the wind seems intoxicated by her attar
As they gently rustle past her

Look into those kohl lined eyes
And you know what beckons her
An unkept promise, an aching heart
A wait that outlived a lifetime

Enveloped in a night of her own
She stares despairingly at the horizon
Knowing she will see nothing but emptiness
But the hope refuses to die

She watches the caravans go by
She hears as the travellers pass by her
For her soul waits to see but one, to hear but one
As the tide of time silently ebbs away

Unmindful of her grief, they appear
Myriad shades of red cast upon the sky
Playfully challenging the sky, the moon and stars
She sighs, for she must return now

She is gone, lost in the darkness
The song strikes a sombre note
The rhythm wanes, ends in an echo
The shadows seem to recede

The wind stops blowing
First rays of sun streak the sky
The stars fade away sadly
And the desert is still again