i hear it's your birthday!

floating in space, we reminisce.

"back on earth, it's my birthday now," says one. "and mine was last week," says another, and they compare notes. the cards, the presents! the free pizza at dominos! "what about you?" they say to a third.

"oh, we didn't have birthdays as such, " he says modestly. and as the rest exclaim with surprise, "there's mother-laid-the-egg day, there's the initial cracking of the shell, and final emergence day. the shells are very tough."

"wow, you get three of them! do you send cards?"

"well...something like that."

"twas forty years
since the egg was laid
that contained you, wonderful you!
the shell is no more
but we hope you will continue
a hundred other seasons
and lay caches by the score!
upon that distant shore"

(i was just at the reproductive age, he explains)

"wow, i never got a card like that." says mike.

"actually, they were leaves, large leaves."

"oh, ok."

"my ancestor transmuted me on this day 17.5 great cycles ago," says one hitherto silent.