What was the Sahara like before the sand came?

lush green was my valley
tress blossomed pinks and reds
flowers burst into view, yellows, oranges, and white
fruits multipled and were many.
harsh southern winds
swept up from the Gulf
drying the sweet land of my sires
winds became full blown
blowing east, north and west.
until it engulfed my Babylon Gardens
and striped the water from the air.
brown, dusty bowls of emptied arid land
sand and soil scatter in my hands.
I watch the herds of the living,
animals, people, and plants
as they migrate to watershed lands.