I WAS SENT TO EARTH

I will be sent to little houses buried in the Canadian suburbs,
It is in these houses that generations will grow.
Generations that will build snowmen to protect their lawns.
The cold will turn their noses red,
Their hair to crystal,
They won’t mind — they will play until nightfall.

I will be sent to a breeze when the wildlife wakes,
When they stretch and yawn after a winter of sleep.
I will wake too, to the sound of birds at the windowsill,
To the aroma of the beginning of spring;
I will go down the stairs towards the kitchen pantry,
And sip my iced lychee tea.

I will be sent to green fields, splashes of color below my feet;
The sun will shine above, beads of sweat will soak my skin.
I will watch the elderly stroll on the weekend sidewalks,
They will speak their native tongues — Mandarin, Cantonese,
I will pick up words that I will never understand.

I will be sent to pumpkin seeds that stick to my fingers,
Jack-O-Lanterns that light every house on the block.
I will watch scary films from the safety of my walls,
I will pick the remnants of gumdrops from my teeth.
I will go door to door in the chilly Autumn air,
I will smile because this is the best time of year.

I will be sent to Earth:
To changing seasons, towering mountains,
The bluest of oceans, the tallest of trees,
With naive eyes, I will fall in love with it all.

Then I will grow and the seasons will cease to change.
The snow will stop falling, the holidays will turn blue,
The animals won’t play, instead they will die.
The sun will stop shining — it will start to burn.
I will grow too old for baskets filled with candy and chips,
I will spend October alone with scary movies in bed.

I will be sent to Earth where the lashes will fold over my monolid eyes,
I will blink once and then never again.
I will blink and then, my dear, I will come home to you.