Fireflies

I haven't seen such a summer in years
So many fireflies screaming through darkness
Seemed shooting stars within my young grasp
Humidity hanging in wet sheets under clouds
Ozone scented air eased in from a distance
My chubby fingers tightened around my jar
My awkward swooping found its prey
A single insect, posterior ablaze
Two inches from my inspecting stare

As he found his plight hopeless
His beacon fell dim, buzzing slowed
My seven year old hands shook the jar
If hope couldn't inspire him, maybe fear
But my childish nudge turned earthquake  
And my mason jar became a tomb
For the battered broken corpse of fly

We haven't seen another summer like that
Where fireflies danced in sultry breezes
Maybe we had a glut of seven year olds
Jumping awkwardly with mason jars
Clenched tightly in their chubby fingers
Shaking the spirit out of bugs
But the night lights soon grew dim
Until fireflies seemed an unrealized dream

Once I grew up the night skies blazed again
Their phosphoric blood streaked my palms
In the days since that long ago summer
I've killed my share of fireflies.