Lime Green Grasshopper

Last night I had a dream
I had gone to New Zealand
and there I saw my mother
who has been dead for
thirty-five years. She was in
the yard hanging clothes.
I greeted her but she ignored me

and continued to clip large white sheets
on the clothes line. It started to hail
so I called for her to come in, then I noticed
a large funnel cloud forming on the horizon.
I called again with greater urgency
the only safe place was in the washroom.

I could hear the glass shatter as the winds
roared through the house like a locomotive.
When the storm died down we were all safe
but then the earth started to shake.

I thought I was going to be buried under
a thousand bricks but every time one fell,
I climbed on top of it.

When things got quiet again, I discovered
everyone I cared for also survived
except my mother. She was gone again.

We went out to the center of the yard
and the earth started to shake once more
the mountains began to crumble.

I thought, “Surely, this is the end of the world.”
Then I saw a large lime green grasshopper
fly across the yard and I followed it
until it hopped on to the hearth in an ancient castle.

I knew everything would be okay
because I've been told when a grasshopper appears
in a dream I am being asked to take a leap
of faith and jump forward without fear.