South by Southwest

It isn’t hard to understand 
How this place passed for Mars, 
Or a hundred other alien planets 
In Star Trek and Star Wars. 

The slow green-tongued agave fires; 
The spiked six-armed saguaro; 
An endless sea of sand dunes the 
Arrakis of tomorrow. 

It isn’t far from Tombstone to 
Spahn Ranch, and then from there 
To Westworld’s killer androids and 
Yul Brynner’s icy stare.