As you get older
you wonder if you really
did anything to make the world
a better place–
Did something you did
start an amazing ripple?
reach someone or something,
inspire, encourage–
a tsunami of love
washing over a country, a forest,
everyone in Day’s coffee shop
last Sunday morning–
you will never know.

I do know that today I saved Larry–
the firefly that’s been hanging out 
near the ceiling fan in our bedroom.
We spotted him on the ceiling in February!
I said to my husband do you see what I see?
He said do you mean the firefly on the ceiling? 
There Larry was, around midnight, dancing and 
singing, brought his own spotlight
as the snow, ever so silent,
landed on the balcony outside our bedroom.

My grandson saw him yesterday,
padding into our bedroom at 4 am–
Mimi do you see what I see?!

I vacuumed today, and, as usual–
the roar scared the hell out of the dog,
but not Larry, I noticed something crawling
on the bedroom carpet
past my Bissel with the headlights–
it was him–he was really traveling,
toward the open door to the balcony–
a long haul on the rippling carpet,
for a firefly who wasn’t using his wings.

He’d been randomly lighting up our little life
for months, now, his tiny firefly legs
were headed for for for…
I bent down, opened my hand–
Larry climbed up my palm,
I slowly walked to the open door– 
the sky was pink and orange, blue
blending into lavender–
Larry opened his wings,
I could see his lovely red spot,
as my breath elevated him
up and over the flower box
in the direction away from
the bright rising moon–
Larry became part of the purple dark
for only a moment, in the distance
I could see those flashers–
it was time to illuminate
his own little place in the world.