It Smells Like Opium
It smells like opium dancing in your nostrils
With a rush of wind flying through your hair
And the kiss of sun sanctifies your cheeks
As you cross the sands of gold where promise seeks your soul.
Embrace the humid air and let the rain fall on your tongue
And open up your eyes and let the sights come rushing in
And let them eat your heart and bury in your head
As the pyramids entreat you to find their deepest core.
And the Sphinx will raise his tail and make you draw your breath
As the Eye of Ra looks upon you and follows your gentle steps
And at the top of the greatest mountain you survey your little world
And all the sights you’ve seen before touch nothing anymore.
Claire Bolden McGill is a British expat who lived in Maryland for three years and moved back to the UK in August 2015. Claire wrote about her life as a British expat on the East Coast and now works in travel and hospitality PR in the UK. She still finds time to blog about her repatriation and the reverse culture shock that ensued – and she still hasn’t finished that novel, but she’s working on it. You can contact Claire via twitter on @clairebmcgill or via her blog From America to England.