Through the magical and imaginative voice of a child, Cathy Xinman’s poem, “Look What Kind of Sunshine I’ve Prepared for You”, gently evokes a nostalgic longing for the lost innocence of adulthood. It recognizes the tender, unfiltered way children see the world—where sunlight becomes a companion, and love is as simple as a hug or a kiss sweetened by candy.
By attempting to see love and hope through a child’s eyes, the poem carries emotional weight in its simple language. It reminds us that the most profound wishes are often the smallest ones—like the desire to turn adults back into children, if only so they remember how to be happy again.
Look What Kind of Sunshine I’ve Prepared for You
By Cathy Xinman
Sunlight, why
do you wake my little fish tank,
light up my glass window,
my small bed, and even
make my puppy’s long tail wag?
Look—-everything I have
has been taken over by you.
Now I feel so hot—fine,
I’ll give you everything, even my coat,
and my doll’s high heels too,
so maybe you can come with me to the beach?
Now you must bend down,
so I can hug you. I also want
to give your face a gentle kiss—
because I just secretly ate a candy.
It’s sweet—can you smell it?
I think you’re starting to like me.
Let’s grow old together by the sea.
I only have one small wish:
I want a tiny right—
the right to command the grown-ups,
make them all turn into children again,
let them only remember happy things.
Cathy Xinman writes poetry in Chinese and English. Her English-language collection is entitled Where You Love Yourself. Find it on Amazon. Learn more about the communities that make up Canada on the Toronto Spark website. The Toronto Spark is on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
