The full, green leaves of a wizened maple filtered the sunlight as it shone on the grass.
A wisp of the wind pried one of the leaves off its branch and threw it into the air.
A quick updraft lifted the leaf high and it soon was hidden beyond my sight.
A lazy squirrel hopped out of the bushes and calmly crossed the street.
My father waits patiently for it to cross.
I notice all this as I look out the car. As I say farewell to my old home.
We pass through the quiet streets and soon we leave all buildings and society in the dust.
On the empty trail the bump of the road nearly lulls me to sleep.
I look to the front of the car where my mother sits, breathing softly, resting her tired head.
To her left I see my father driving the car. He is obviously trying to hide his exhaustion.
To his left was the open plain. It was as quiet as death itself.
The straight, expressionless landscape was like a calm pond during the spring.
On the plain nothing could be seen. The seclusion and isolation was amazing.
To be the only person in sight for miles and miles around made me feel so large.
I saw my father smile then call my name. He told me to look outside and see the world.
We drove on and on, stopping at dusty motels all along the way.
Finally, my father told me that this was the last day of our journey.
I didn’t know what to think. Should I be excited or scared?
We finally entered the beginning of my new life.
It was nothing like I expected it to be.
The first thing that I noticed was the sun.
The sun seemed so pale and dull that I didn’t notice when it had finally set.
I wondered to myself if the sun ever got tired of shining its light for all to see.
The sun always used to shine back at my old home.
It was supposed to be night yet here it seemed to be eternally day.
Blaring lights made the shadows flee.
And in the light, it seemed that the world became artificial.
The shadows came and went as they pleased back at my old home.
In the brightness I was shocked to see another squirrel right here on the highway.
This one looked almost exactly like the one we had seen before we left, except
this one wasn’t moving. My mom told me that it was sleeping.
The squirrels didn’t sleep on the road back at my old home.
The next thing I saw was a dog.
It was wearing a shirt and pants to keep it warm in the growing chill.
Though I saw a dog, I pictured a young child walking in their tight-fitting clothes.
Dogs couldn’t afford clothes back at my old home.
Next I heard a deafening din of sirens wailing like a child whose fingers had been burnt.
But then, the noise stopped as quickly as it had come.
It was as if the child had had a pacifier stuffed in their mouth by an annoyed parent.
There wasn’t so much noise back at my old home.
Next I saw a woman standing in the street.
She held a sign, full of anger, full of protest.
No one looked. No one cared.
People weren’t ignored back at my old home.
Next I saw masses of people. All were walking about in a hurry.
Hats askew, papers fluttering about, all were headed nowhere and everywhere at once.
It was total chaos.
Life wasn’t as busy back at my old home.
I saw a man dressed in rags sitting on the grimy street.
His hands outstretched, his face grim.
Eyes darted his way but none lingered for more than a moment.
People weren’t so blind back at my old home.
Finally we arrived at my new house at the corner of the street.
My parents stared at it with awe and exuberance.
I stared glumly at my toes.
My heart ached.
What kind of place was this where the sun didn’t shine yet the world was always bright?
Where some animals where killed while others were treated like kings?
Where the world was so noisy that no one could ever listen.
Where people were so busy that they didn’t have time to notice those in need?
My tears trickled down my face, collected at my chin and fell to the ground.
It seemed so long ago, but I wanted to be as free as the green maple leaf, that had fluttered in the wind.
I longed to be as blithe as the lazy squirrel that had snuffled in the bushes.
Back when my life was bright, quiet and simple.
A wisp of the wind pried one of the leaves off its branch and threw it into the air.
A quick updraft lifted the leaf high and it soon was hidden beyond my sight.
A lazy squirrel hopped out of the bushes and calmly crossed the street.
My father waits patiently for it to cross.
I notice all this as I look out the car. As I say farewell to my old home.
We pass through the quiet streets and soon we leave all buildings and society in the dust.
On the empty trail the bump of the road nearly lulls me to sleep.
I look to the front of the car where my mother sits, breathing softly, resting her tired head.
To her left I see my father driving the car. He is obviously trying to hide his exhaustion.
To his left was the open plain. It was as quiet as death itself.
The straight, expressionless landscape was like a calm pond during the spring.
On the plain nothing could be seen. The seclusion and isolation was amazing.
To be the only person in sight for miles and miles around made me feel so large.
I saw my father smile then call my name. He told me to look outside and see the world.
We drove on and on, stopping at dusty motels all along the way.
Finally, my father told me that this was the last day of our journey.
I didn’t know what to think. Should I be excited or scared?
We finally entered the beginning of my new life.
It was nothing like I expected it to be.
The first thing that I noticed was the sun.
The sun seemed so pale and dull that I didn’t notice when it had finally set.
I wondered to myself if the sun ever got tired of shining its light for all to see.
The sun always used to shine back at my old home.
It was supposed to be night yet here it seemed to be eternally day.
Blaring lights made the shadows flee.
And in the light, it seemed that the world became artificial.
The shadows came and went as they pleased back at my old home.
In the brightness I was shocked to see another squirrel right here on the highway.
This one looked almost exactly like the one we had seen before we left, except
this one wasn’t moving. My mom told me that it was sleeping.
The squirrels didn’t sleep on the road back at my old home.
The next thing I saw was a dog.
It was wearing a shirt and pants to keep it warm in the growing chill.
Though I saw a dog, I pictured a young child walking in their tight-fitting clothes.
Dogs couldn’t afford clothes back at my old home.
Next I heard a deafening din of sirens wailing like a child whose fingers had been burnt.
But then, the noise stopped as quickly as it had come.
It was as if the child had had a pacifier stuffed in their mouth by an annoyed parent.
There wasn’t so much noise back at my old home.
Next I saw a woman standing in the street.
She held a sign, full of anger, full of protest.
No one looked. No one cared.
People weren’t ignored back at my old home.
Next I saw masses of people. All were walking about in a hurry.
Hats askew, papers fluttering about, all were headed nowhere and everywhere at once.
It was total chaos.
Life wasn’t as busy back at my old home.
I saw a man dressed in rags sitting on the grimy street.
His hands outstretched, his face grim.
Eyes darted his way but none lingered for more than a moment.
People weren’t so blind back at my old home.
Finally we arrived at my new house at the corner of the street.
My parents stared at it with awe and exuberance.
I stared glumly at my toes.
My heart ached.
What kind of place was this where the sun didn’t shine yet the world was always bright?
Where some animals where killed while others were treated like kings?
Where the world was so noisy that no one could ever listen.
Where people were so busy that they didn’t have time to notice those in need?
My tears trickled down my face, collected at my chin and fell to the ground.
It seemed so long ago, but I wanted to be as free as the green maple leaf, that had fluttered in the wind.
I longed to be as blithe as the lazy squirrel that had snuffled in the bushes.
Back when my life was bright, quiet and simple.
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