A Plea for Desert Sand

Desert sand is the antithesis of ocean sand, since ocean sand has become a cliché -- our cherished belongings disappear into it, the tides do their feminine moon-thing above it, the smell of it reminds some guys of screwing, and Rod McKuen advertised it. Don't get me wrong: ocean sand has endless shades and temperaments, and each runs the gamut from odd to arresting. The photographs in high-end travel brochures never try very hard to seize it.

When I plea for desert sand, I'm pleading geologic time in hyperspeed. It's no wonder so many people who live on desert sand are crazy. And words like dune, Nile, and Gobi will always sound full of history and promise, which in itself is worth a plea.

Desert sand is being undermined by greeting card photographers. Ocean sand did not bring its reputation on itself. Desert sand will ignore any smears against it with dignity. Ocean sand retains a secret dignity.

Step carefully on desert sand; desert sand is proof that the fundamentalists in Kansas are wrong.