Lightless Nights
It’s a little early for fireflies
yet I sit on the unmowed grass of my backyard
anxious for them, knowing their numbers
are dwindling
I remember childhood summer evenings with a soft glow
lifting my arms in embrace, trying to catch one
in my palm, watching the flicker of light on my finger,
awe that these creatures produce magic
I am like a ship in the night;
I am seeking a lighthouse to guide me
and watch as the last bulb
burns out
Should I bring a child into a world
that has lost its light?
7 thoughts on "Lightless Nights"
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This poem moves like a firefly and bites like a mosquito. Brilliantly done.
Thank you 🙂
I think the sonnet form is a good choice for this. I agree with P.C.’s comment about the bite at the end. Yup, well done.
Just some thoughts to ponder…Do you need a simile or can you “let the thing be,” e.g. the metaphor: I am a ship in the night?
In that same stanza, what about “I seek” since you use “watch.” Try it on for size and see what you think.
Great thoughts; thank you so much for the wisdom! I definitely will be changing those.
Wow. The buildup to that last line is incredible.
Felt. All of it.
Such longing, sadness, and memory expressed beautifully. In March my husband and I both woke up in the middle of the night at same time and there was a firefly arcing across the ceiling! We watched it fly about for almost 20 minutes and then it disappeared! We were beside ourselves!