Fireflies Poem by Richa Mohan

The sun is about to set,
the lane quiet and dark.
As I breathe in the clean air,
and take in the surrounding greenery
I glimpse a falling star.

Wait!

A star?

Intrigued I hold my breath and wait,
it flashes again, it is a firefly!

Fascinated I draw close.
I haven't seen one in years.

I start walking again, in a trance,
the sun suddenly sets.

And just like in a fairytale,
the lane comes alive,
with lots of blinking stars.

It is a miracle of nature.
I stretch my hands and try to touch one.
I look around.

Fireflies- hundreds of them,
blinking, flying, walking along with me.

Have they come to talk to a lone stranger,
in a new land?
The wonder of it all.

It reminds me of another time,
long ago, in a forest amidst friends,
and good times.
When I was young, and stars did fall from the sky.

The friends are gone, the fireflies remain.
Are you a reminder of loss,
or a harbinger of innocence and hope and light.