THE LAND OF THE WIND by Barbara A. Holtz

The Rocky Mountains spawn the winds,

birthing low pressure points which warms the air,

drops them off the cliff ledges where they hiccup gusts up to 65 mph.

The clouds grumble at such interference,

striking the earth with daggers of lightning. All the world is angry.

The dirt rides in on dust devils,

while wings of plastic trash gets

snagged in barbed wire fences.

My car shudders,

dreading the hills on I 70,

and passing semi trucks.

The blue turns to gray at the horizons.

The land pants like a dog

chained in full sun.

Where is the rain?

Barbara A Holtz is a retired teacher who now works in a second grade classroom as a paraprofessional in Lincoln, KS. Her recent publications include: The Mersey Review, Piker Press, The Museum of Americana: A Literary Review, DarkWinter Press and Literary Magazine, and Beach Chair Press. Her poem The Day of the Grizzly Dead has been nominated for the Best of the Net. Her poem “The Skunk at Ennis Riffle” has been nominated for the Pushcart Award. She has three chapbooks published: “Wildfire LAL 6”, from Ghost City Press, “Getting Through Gold Beach”, from Writing Knights Press, and “Sylvan Grove”, from The Poetry Box. She loves all things ancient