The desire of the moth ; and, The come on

John Wesley Pringle rides his sturdy sorrel across the sweeping mesas and jagged peaks of the New Mexico desert, his thoughts drifting between the rugged horizon and a distant, lingering desire. The landscape unfurls in vivid detail—towering limestone spires, the emerald ribbon of the Rio Grande, and the sun‑baked town of Las Uvas that glints like a tiny oasis amid endless sand. As he follows the thin plume of smoke from a distant locomotive, Pringle’s quiet monologue hints at a restless spirit seeking more than the familiar trails of his past.

Inside a modest motion‑picture palace, the traveler finds a fleeting connection with a curious young woman watching the screen, while the flickering film mirrors his own yearning for adventure and companionship. Through lyrical snippets of old songs and verses, the story weaves together themes of wanderlust, fleeting love, and the promise of new horizons. Listeners are drawn into Pringle’s contemplative ride, feeling the dust under his boots and the soft pull of an untold future that beckons just beyond the next ridge.