solving for x

Writerscafe.org put forth this challenge: Write a story or poem containing 26 sentences (or lines) the first one starting with the letter A, then B, C, and so on until you've reached the letter Z. Be warned, X is the tricky one. I'm looking for the most complete story or poem AND the most creative solution for X. Happy writing!


Albuquerque is beautiful in the springtime. Bluer skies than you had ever imagined hang overhead. Clouds only punctuate the clear blue of the skies. Dusk brings glorious sunsets of orange, purple and pink. Every color in the crayon box crawling across the landscape. Forests of pine and tumbleweeds dot the mountainsides. Gravel crunches underfoot as you walk towards the base of the mountains. Hikers and bikers wave at you and nod hello. In fact, everyone seems a little more friendly here, like maybe they know you from somewhere. Juniper grows in almost every yard. Kiva fireplaces stand as a reminder of native traditions.

Leaving this place made it fresh again. Maybe if I hadn't left I wouldn't see it through the same eyes. New experiences and places provide a contrast with which to compare these things. Only by leaving could I finally see the colors. Perhaps I could have returned sooner, but I'm not certain it would be the same.

Quirkiness seems to fit here better than it does in other places. Route 66 runs through the heart of this town and the retro kitsch still permeates the area. Strange people abound here, like the naked guy who protests outside the military base. Tribes of Native Americans own the land surrounding the city, stopping it from sprawling too far. Usually, you can find little shops on the edge of the reservations that still sell bread baked in their round mud ovens fueled by firewood.

Visitors to this town might not understand the homes here; stucco squares in every imaginable shade of brown, looking like ancient adobe huts. Water is scarce in these high country deserts, so the people have grown to adapt. Xeriscaped yards dominate the neighborhoods with gravel covered lawns instead of water thirsty grass. Yucca, cactus, and agave with their spiky, spiny leaves defend their alien landscape. Zealots for the lush green lawns of suburban America might not love it here, but I think that I do.