Remember Fireflies

Remember Fireflies

when we were little,

the sticky summer

evenings we

spent together

and with all the

other ragamuffin

neighborhood kids

were filled with catching

fireflies

“Like magic!” we

called to them as they

lit up the air a

yellow-green, like

light-up sneakers

we all danced in

the night, under

their light, the

world was a stage,

don’t you remember?

and sometimes we’d

try to

catch them, success

determined by how many

lightning bugs the

communal bug box held

when it was time

to go home

    go inside

I’d bring our light-up

treasure trove

into my room for

a night light

“Like magic!” I

would fall asleep,

marveling still

were your dreams,

too, filled with

memories and hopes

of following the

light, or

being the light?

I’m older now,

but when I dream,

it’s of fireflies and

sticky summer nights

there’s always a

part of me

wondering

hoping

that you remember

them, too

because, yesterday I

saw fireflies, and

flashbacks filled with

yellow-green light

filled my mind

and I realized,

I always follow

their light

it’s been a long

time, and

I can’t really ask,

but still, I wonder,

don’t you remember

the fireflies?