Bright Angels

“When I was growing up, / they were lightning bugs.” /

When I was growing up,
they were lightning bugs.
Later I learned they’re
also known as fireflies.
Both appellations sound like
science-fiction illumination.
What do they call themselves
in the signals they send out?

Late each spring to my yard
comes this winged migration,
localized weather patterns
circulating in the night air,
the clouds of photons alive,
sparks flickering in the dark.
These tiny bright angels surely
will herald the season’s tidings
if I stand still and pay attention.

Ronnie Sirmans is an editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His poem “Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes” appeared in The Behemoth’s issue 39.

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Also in this Issue

Issue 50 / June 9, 2016
  1. Editor's Note from June 09, 2016

    Issue 50: Lightning bugs, beating hearts, and golden spirals. /

  2. The Most Spectacular Firefly

    We’re drawn to animals that shine their own light. For one, it’s a group effort. /

  3. Mysteries of a Beating Heart

    We don’t really know how a heartbeat sparks to life. /

  4. The Eagle, the Shell, and the Sunflower

    The Golden Spiral appears all over nature. /

  5. Wonder on the Web

    Issue 50: Links to amazing stuff.

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