fireflies

as a little boy i’d wait
for summer evening skies
to be filled with fireflies
and gazed in wild wonder
as their tails lit up the night
and running barefoot on cool grass
would try to catch them in tiny hands
and lucky enough to find one in my grasp
would peek between gently clenched
fingers to watch its glow shine
on my innocent palms
yet to cause harm
in this fragile world
we reluctantly
call home.