Burning Fireflies Poem by VINEET GULATI

After-burn of glowing embers,
Ends bottled up,
Ingesting and displaying fire,
Lighting up dark nights.

Dark wings flapping,
Silent waves,
Terror hovering over,
Closed roses,
Dreading to be sucked,
Dried of life-nectar.

Mere creation of air,
Burning intermittent light,
Chemicals mixed in,
Defense against consumption,
Mating call to procreate,
Create it’s own existence,
Which burning of light is it?

Burning lights -
Gathered, Pushed together,
Balmy, moist summer evenings,
Creeping into the dead of night.
Bundled into a jar,
Held like a torch,
Held up high.

Intermittent blinking on and off,
Torch signal - A cryptic more code,
Seen through the clear night,
In the midst of fields,
Calling other burning lights,
Gathered into similar jars.
Which is it?
- A mating call, A love sign,
Or a defense against nocturnal beings.