By Will Falk

these deserts lack the scaffolded

Joshua Tree by Wattewyl
WikiCommons

red-bud Judas trees

there are only Joshua trees

though they are drenched

in silver pieces

of starlight spying

where there is no Jericho

no Serrano on Serrano sands

no Cahuilla on Cahuilla lands

no Chemehuevi anymore

the original people

who used to be out here

are mostly gone now

Joshua Tree by Wattewyl WikiCommons

there’s only Joshua trees

who gave their wood

to settlers and to miners

to Mormon invaders

and to tourists

only gnarled Joshua trees

looking to the sky

lonely and haunting me

I recently moved to San Diego from Milwaukee, WI where I was a public defender. I am looking for life outside of law. My first passion is poetry and I am interested in the way the land speaks through the poet. If you can’t find me drinking too much coffee in Cafe Calabria, I’ll be on a rock somewhere in Joshua Tree.

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Will Falk

Will Falk moved to the West Coast from Milwaukee, WI where he was a public defender. His first passion is poetry and his work is an effort to record the way the land is speaking. He feels the largest and most pressing issue confronting us today is the destruction of natural communities. He received a Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Chapter, 2016 Journalism award. He is currently living in Utah.

Latest posts by Will Falk (see all)

• Time to Escalate? First-Ever Rights of Nature Lawsuit Dismissed - December 7, 2017
• The Rights of Nature and the Power of Law - October 18, 2017
• Why Does the Colorado River Need to Sue For Rights? - September 25, 2017