Fireflies

 As the dusk deepens,
And the light fades away,
All of a sudden,
There are sparkles at play;

 

Flickers in the darkness,
Pinpricks of light,
Brief bursts of radiance,
Light up the night.

 

As a pair of fireflies,
Flash their lights off and on,
Intermittently twinkling,
Now they’re here, now they’re gone…

 

There’s a biological reason,
For their luminescent light,
As one signals to its mate,
‘Come hither, tonight!’

 

And the other replies,
‘I’m coming, I know.’
Responding to its partner,
With a flash and a glow.

 

And the poet in me,
Sees their flickering display,
As a game of passion,
That two lovers play…

 

Alight in a gleam,
That teases and burns,
Now restless, now still,
As a lover yearns.

 

Aglow in the heat,
Of a fervid fire,
Seeking the warmth,
Of love’s ardent desire.

 

With a flash and a gleam,
They swoop through the air,
Signalling to each other,
‘I’m here, are you there?

 

As fireflies dance,
And light up the night,
I wonder when our love
Will burn so bright…?

 

This poem was placed 3rd in the All India Poetry Contest 2015, conducted by the Poetry Society of India: http://www.indianpoetry.org/