The Fireflies

The rains have ended, The night has begun, Stars are shining in the sky, And fireflies glow among the bushes. The stars hang, fixed, in the heavens, But the fireflies are free— They can kiss the sky. This freedom of the fireflies Does not please the stars. The stars keep dreaming, Restless, of slipping down in form of stardust. The fireflies, with a gentle warmth, Send messages of love to their mates. They fulfill nature’s rhythm In graceful, fleeting forms. They are weak— Captured in children’s bottles. They are lovers— Burning in longing, Dying in the dance.