Poem of the Day: "Have You Ever Kissed a Firefly" by Sierra July

Songs of Eretz Poetry Review is pleased to present “Have You Ever Kissed a Firefly?” by Sierra July.  Ms. July is a University of Florida graduate, writer, and poet. Her fiction has appeared in Acidic Fiction and Saturday Night Reader, among other places, and is forthcoming in Belladonna Publishing's anthology Strange Little Girls. Her poetry has been featured in both Songs of Eretz venues and The Society of Classical Poets. To follow her progress, check out her website: talestotellinpassing.blogspot.com.

Have You Ever Kissed a Firefly?

Sierra July

Have you ever kissed a firefly,

And felt the heat of summertime,

Seen the sparks behind your eyes

Succumbed to your insides melting,

And dreamed you could take wing?

Tasted the nighttime air on your tongue,

Balanced the sun and moon in your hands,

So like those flitting orbs, those fireflies,

Calling to their life mates, their lifeblood,

Have you ever?

Been guided out of that darkness

When the bitter cold has set in and

Has begun to nibble, then gnaw, then saw?

Have you ever been led

Some place warm?

And knew, like those fireflies drawn together

Magnetized then linked,

That you were home?

I haven’t kissed a firely,

But I haven’t missed a thing

Not a moment of wonder

By having instead kissed you.

Poet's Notes: This was written with the thought of how love is said to make you warm and give you a glow. One of my favorite bugs is the firefly, and I always wanted to incorporate them into my work somehow. One day I realized this was the perfect way.

Editor’s Note:  What an original, lovely conceit for a love poem!  Bioluminescent!