Excellent imagery. Very easy to visualize. “Broadens a mirage” is an interesting verbiage. It might be my favorite line. It makes me see the mirage widen as it is appearing.

Critique. I’d say try and read it a few times thru and decide where you want the tests to be and do some punctuating. The old Oxford comma. Where’s Geezer? I’m new here but he seems to be great at that. Also maybe something in the middle to help marry the image of the penny/hard work image to the desert image. I realize they are both metaphors for the same thing which I’m taking to be a misanthropic external world view which I do share from time to time along with bouts of depression. I feel you.
Play around some with this, I think you’re going to find some things in the revision process you’ll like. Nice work

Tim

Try darkest most solitary refines.