Nature's lanterns aglow in the velvet night,
guided by them, muted laughter echoes with delight.
A mirror of geniality in the hand of darkness,
the flickering glow of flying artists.
Children softly exhale around ashen remains,
their bodies in slumber but not so their brains.
Enveloped in the golden aurora of earth-bound constellations,
enchanting dreams begin to flow.
Aureate beings rise from every child,
gathering into one glistening file.
A river of angelic beings,
floodlike and sweeping.
Upon the backs of minute fireflies,
a shimmering bridge built on life
softly breathes and
ascends into the night.
twilight in summer
a firefly reminder
evening is magic
1404 Poetry Contest //Sponsored by: Brian Strand
( 2nd Place )
Written: August 14, 2025
lantern quivers dusk,
shadows twist like whispered secrets--
fireflies thread the sky.
. .
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`--+--'
/|\
. | .
' '
japanese folklore
sweet souls of the departed
gentle fireflies
african culture
fireflies are bad luck
such diversity
beside the river
what a night! darkness is great
fireflies moving stars
we would poke holes in
the lids of glass jars when we
tried to catch fireflies
whose lights flickered around us
those warm nights of our childhood
holding onto youth
is like capturing fireflies -
light so soon grows dim
FLASH DANCE*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
fireflies
flicker, enchant
dancing amongst the stars
suspended pieces of glitter
flash dance
*Note: I originally published this at Poetry Soup in June 2025 (poetrysoup.com › flash_dance_1738383) but later deleted it. This is my original poem.
If I could
catch the stars
in a mason jar would
it be enough to
prove myself?
I
don't
want
to
be
here
anymore.
I want to be up in space
where all of the fireflies reside.
They
don't
care
if
I'm
not
good
enough.
Whirlwind
Of summer embers
Stirs up
From the un-mowed grass
Swept by the brooms of July 4th fireworks
Booming distant in the furled city
Up high
To the tree tops
The fire flies rise
To the hunger of bats that swoop as spoons
Banging the pan of moon
More than enough for all
The stars
Lightning bugs
Moonbeams and bean wings
Consciousness everywhere
Our heads tilt
On their cracked bodies
Statues
Still standing
For a longer whisper
In the ancient gallery of this summer
My wife her husband
Hands freed from our marble robes
We
Ignite and hold
The gold of a sparkler
Close to our faces.
In the dark of night
fireflies luminous light dots
Bat buffet delight
I see words, and they see me
It’s true they are sentient, quite
But they will never see the light
of my world through my loins
They keep floating by, ever speaking
never ceasing like tinnitus in my transcendent sight
Like orphans from somewhere never
Their little fingers grope as they look at me squarely
Speaking barely, “bring me into your light”
just before they are gone forever
So much needless loss
I kill my darlings before they become darlings
Their lot is to die in the vacuum
of my fickle muse
If only I could catch them like you do fireflies in a fruit jar
How pretty they would be to see in chaotic containment
and how witty they could be for those with the sight
But alas, my heart cannot hold all the incandescence ink
required for such a noble and beautiful task
So I shall be satisfied to smile when I catch one or two
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.
stars
are
the
fireflies of night
and
we
communicate
with
our
light
red, blue, and green
with
some indigo
with
delight
your hand in mine,
tiny lights whisper promises
beneath ebony evening~
fireflies spill velvet ink
Luciferin in
abdomen of
glowworm with
air -contact
forms warm glow .
fireflies fly
without fire.
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