arid

In the desert, he survived on the dew of her memory 

and crushed dried mesquite seed pods

He knew where she was

To go to her unbidden would be...uncouth 

and he loved her too much to do that

He walked along the ancient crumbling brick canals

His third-favorite sound was clattering masonry

Someday he'd have a yard of 

cobblestone

red brick 

and walls of gabion

un-mortared so the grass could grow through the cracks

If it ever rained again