god began sending items down to earth

on parachutes, right before dusk when they sky 
is orange & murky with clouds.
we felt silly, lining up with the neighbor children 
as we waited for the baskets to descend:
a bowl of unripe blueberries, a few cans of sweet peas,
a knot of roses, a whole lot of tiny espresso spoons. 
the kids got a basket of yellow butterscotch candies
& we got one packed with zucchini noodles.
there's a rumor that in the town over 
a little girl came upon a basket full of twenty-dollar-bills
& another rumor say that even the more mundane baskets
sometimes have gold pieces at the bottom.
i think to myself that we are greedy with our miracles--
that it is wonderful that these objects have started falling
& that i will be happy with whatever comes my way
but i find myself there searching frantically 
in the strands of squash, hoping to find something more.
i start to fantasize about what i would do with 
all those twenties & i walk myself up the street
to the grocery story would i could have 
plastic bags full of coconut milk ice cream.
i fold one up & put it under my brother's pillows.
i give one to the hair dresser to shave my hair closer to the scalp--
telling her where it came from so she knows 
i'm not showing off. another basket comes down
& it's piled with candy bracelets so i give it to the kids
who put two or three on each arm.
i can't understand yet what god is doing with us--
what he means when he sends down these trinkets
on parachutes. all the pastors in town
& religious leaders all over give thanks--
they come out in to the grass to pray
& try to give answers. some say we're preparing
for the end. i think god missed us
or maybe she was bored--
craving the way small baskets from the sky
spread manic joy over each town.
i will save the baskets so that
when it is over i can send something back up 
into the sky-- a loaf of banana bread
or maybe a picture of all of us in my house
with a note reading 
we are down here & we always want more.