When I Grow Up

When I grow up I want to be a bicycle

I want to whoosh down hills and sweep through fields

of fragrant flowers sparkling in the morning dew

I want birds of every color to race with me

and sing me their joyful songs

 

I want the afternoon sun to warm my shiny red frame

as I crunch through leaves and splash through puddles

I want to ring my bell and watch the squirrels scamper,

their tails in the shape of a question mark

 

I want to glide through the park at dusk and listen

to the crickets as they begin their evening refrains

I want to sail through a sea of fireflies

and marvel at their heavenly glow

 

I want the peace of the night to envelop me

and the cool damp air to squeeze through my spokes

I want the moon and the Big Dipper to guide me

as my white lantern lights my way home