<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab c1et5uql ii04i59q kvgmc6g5 hcukyx3x" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">When You Return</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">Fallen leaves will climb back into trees.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">Shards of the shattered vase will rise</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">and reassemble on the table.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class=""><span style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class=""><a tabindex="-1" style="color: rgb(56, 88, 152); cursor: pointer; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class=""></a></span>Plastic raincoats will refold</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">into their flat envelopes. The egg,</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">bald yolk and its transparent halo,</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">slide back in the thin, calcium shell.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">Curses will pour back into mouths,</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">letters un-write themselves, words</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">siphoned up into the pen. My gray hair</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">will darken and become the feathers</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">of a black swan. Bullets will snap</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">back into their chambers, the powder</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">tamped tight in brass casings. Borders</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">will disappear from maps. Rust</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">revert to oxygen and time. The fire</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">return to the log, the log to the tree,</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">the white root curled up</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">in the un-split seed. Birdsong will fly</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">into the lark’s lungs, answers</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">become questions again.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">When you return, sweaters will unravel</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">and wool grow on the sheep.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">Rock will go home to mountain, gold</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">to vein. Wine crushed into the grape,</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">oil pressed into the olive. Silk reeled in</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">to the spider’s belly. Night moths</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">tucked close into cocoons, ink drained</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">from the indigo tattoo. Diamonds</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">will be returned to coal, coal</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">to rotting ferns, rain to clouds, light</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">to stars sucked back and back</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">into one timeless point, the way it was</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">before the world was born,</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">that fresh, that whole, nothing</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class="">broken, nothing torn apart.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab ii04i59q o9v6fnle c1et5uql hcukyx3x" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" class=""> - Ellen Bass</div></div></div></body></html>