Red rocks

For my dads birthday I was so excited to give him the book Red, by Terry Tempest Williams, not knowing he already had it. He gave it back to me, but told me to write him a letter inside and then he’ll take it back. So for Christmas I re-gifted him the book with an extra poem written inside, which is the poem below. He also gave me his original copy of Red, so we could read it together. My dad loves red rocks because of Terry Tempest Williams, and I love red rocks because of my dad.

You’re like the red rocks
The sun and wind have shaped you
Storms have tired to beat you
You’ve seen endless nights
You’ve embraced countless sunrises
Through time and grace you still stand to radiate your warmth

You’re like the river
Carving your own canyons
Breaking through every barrier
Rapids run wild and gentle currents carry life forward
Giving growth to all you reach

You’re like the desert
Endless, unexpected, adventurous, healing
Where creativity flows and freedom is found
You’re as limitless as the horizon
The sun’s glow emanates through you

You hold all of this within you
I see you in every red rock I climb, every river I cross and every desert I drive
That’s the world you taught me to see and love
I hold all of that within me.

Sarah Lorna