A Desert Song
Grateful thanks and hearty hiya
To the Great Libyan Jamahariya
For hosting Eclipse 06 Tour Two
And memories – here are a few
Tour bus racing through Benghazi
John S. on a Roman khazi
Carole chasing Veggie meals
Salah oiling all the wheels
Marcus - temper never fraying
Klaus and Cary bent on straying
Brendan's hearty appetite
Terry counting stars at night
Twitcher Richard stalking birds
Ursula never lost for words.
Lauren bright in wispy scarves
Tim the source of many laughs
Aussie Andrew good on rocks
Peter scoffing artichokes
Mike our expert solar man
There in force the Thomas clan
Ian and Brian our twin towers
Arthur logging Libya 's flowers
Some had seen it all before
and were coming back for more
Some were virgins there to see
Their very first totality
To watch elusive shadow bands
Undulating over sands
And solar crescents by the score
Through Cerian's shirt – and much more
Like Baily's beads and diamond rings
That sudden chill the shadow brings
Faces turned towards the Sun
Twilight glow on the horizon
Prominences pink and frail
Coronal streamers ghostly pale
Unearthly sunset – then all gone
The lunar shadow travels on
The film runs backwards - day returns
And in the mind that image burns
So thanks must go to AWT
Who made it possible to see
This natural wonder without peer
In Libya where the skies were clear
Where Greeks and Romans cities planned
And left their visions in the sand
Like them our footprints leave no trace
We meet again in cyberspace.
Teresa Grafton