"To The Desert" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

The author starts the poem with : "I came to you one rainless August night.  You taught me how to live without the rain.  You are the thirst and thirst is all I know. "....  in this excerpt he conveys a sense of reflection, and appreciation for living without rain and having been raised in the environment.

Here the author conveys a sense of nurturing , encouragement and growth. He  talks about endurance and longevity :  "You blow a breeze and brand your breath into my mouth.  You reach---then bend your force, to break, blow, burn and make me new". (Saenz, p.691)

Reading it in the 3rd person in it's entirety, a feeling of nostalgia and some religious undertones. It is about finding GOD in a barren environment.  The poem exemplifies the idea that God is everywhere.  The author also uses the desert as a metaphor to spiritual bleakness and emptiness in one's own life.   A reply from God to the author stating that he can be provided for at the end.

Reference:
Gioia, D., and X.J.Kennedy,  Literature. (twelfth edition, 2010). p.691  www.pearsonhighered.com