One of the Coalition’s supporters, Rick Brown, wrote this beautiful and powerful poem in defense of Avra Valley. Take a moment to sit with Rick’s commanding words about what we stand to lose if Interstate 11 is built at the doorstep to Saguaro National Park and other irreplaceable public lands. Thank you, Rick, for YOUR voice on behalf of the wildlife and wild places of the Sonoran Desert. 

 

 

Midst a scenic desert valley

a freeway is planned to flow 

more useless sprawl and chaos

whose outcome we all know

 

This Sonoran panorama

is a treat for jaded eyes

seducing all who view her

‘neath those brilliant blue skies

 

 

A treasured realm of nature

spreads forth in grand repose

dotted with tall Saguaro

in their striking graceful pose 

 

abound from this great place

Tucson Mountain to Ironwood

are gifts you can NOT replace

 

fueled by backroom politics

keep Avra on the radar

with puzzling little tricks

 

Noise, glare, and vibration 
would be the new calling card

gone are her days of wonder

left tattered, torn, and scarred

 

Thousands of tiny boxes

will rise from scattered seeds 

strewn across this basin

like machine-built tumbleweeds

 

Gridlock and more congestion

will become regular routine

Drivers could not imagine

this place was once serene

 

Destroying creation’s realm

when alternatives exist

is heinous to the utmost

and why we must resist

 

Foundations are in place

without building yet anew

along present corridors

much less-costly to pursue

 

Floodplain and water sources

occupy this narrow route

Why build amid these features

posing danger, risk, and doubt?

 

Our duty is to save her

from harbingers of doom

By protecting this fine Eden

she’ll forever stay abloom

 

Stand up for Avra Valley

let voices be overheard

It’s time to show the powerful

the passion of our words!