ODE TO FIREFLIES Night meadows The uncharted Darkness of yearning Shadows All fires out Gone! Except Your little Engines Of love Declaring Announcing-- The biggest Soul In the smallest Chest Did I say "soul?" That formless Entity Of light[?] O, you lovers Of pyralis fire! Unflaggingly Protesting A fallible G o d Whose career Is to disbelieve To unsanction Your short- Lived affair For you put humans To shame Those who huddle To artificial fire The unlit souls Conspire Nothing curbs The inaudible But determined Voice From your small Luminous hearts Nothing! Not even The massive death Of stars In the belly Of blind Night! You see, it's easy To snuff The sap & spark Out of a human heart Who lives in a herd Fooled By his Lord I've seen power & Violence In cold blood I've seen fake Emotions stirred By high voltage Wire, but None can compare To your cool Flare and A perfect love Consumed By each other's Fire! :june '05 art by: Sheila Sullivan