My thoughts of you are redolent
Of a battered desert succulent.
On your spiny, scarred exterior
Lovers, long broken up, etched their undying love.
What did that have to do with you?
How faithfully you stay in place
When burning heat seeks to displace
Eliminate you, leave no trace
To tell you that your faith’s misplaced.
When doubts assail you, foes abound
You hunker down and stand your ground
Your unseen wells of sustenance
Cause you to smile and even dance.
You are worn yet beautiful,
dry yet refreshing
spent yet nourishing.
Succulent in every way.
tribalminded.com 
I liked “unseen wells of sustenance”. Worth chewing on!
I dedicate this poem to Jan Curry who inspired it months ago. You are a great big sister.