Snow for Posers

At the edge of the cliff road,
At the border of winter
Hanging above the desert,

The tourists, the sweet tourists,
In search of experience
Worth retelling all their lives,

Arrive in their rental cars
And snow-worthy four-wheel drives
To park ahead of the storm

Forecast for this afternoon.
Some only point their lenses.
Some bundle up and wander.

Berms of old snow block the way
Up higher. Skimobilers
Will be out in force later,

After the storm adds powder,
But for now it’s only grey,
And only people who planned,

Long ago from far away,
To be in this land today
Are making the most of it.

That’s the charm of some tourists.
They planned for something special,
And they traveled, and they paid,

And by god here they are now,
And if there’s a storm coming,
And dense clouds frost the mountains,

Well then, that’s the special part
Of this trip—snow in desert.
Go, get out, and pose in it.