by Monim Wains

I fizzed and cracked,

A bright sparkler sparkling

Kissing sizzling in the night,

I glittered in the eyes of those who held me,

Wide-toothed smiles of pride

At the sun in their hands,

A trailblazer, purple in every blink,

Close your eyes, still shining,

From afar you’d see me

Reputation white-hot glowing

Popping fireworks in your palm,

Meant for higher things,

In the distance the bonfire burned,

A hall of aged wood and fame

Wafting with great smoke in the sky,

I longed to join the great flame,

Accepted into the main event,

Bursting with spectacle and pomp,

So they took me closer with joy

And pride, an encouraging push

And they threw me in…

Sucked into the searing mass of light

 tall pillars of flame licking the clouds

  heat hissed with a furrowed roar in my ears,

I was jostled and pushed

Burned with fierce friction,

All and all raced to get brighter,

Every little sparkler flung into a flame,

A million flares left me dull

In a pile as bright as this,

I was dark,

Cold,

Floating up alone,

The fire pulled me in and rushed me out,

An orange brown ember 

Falling in the night,

That trailblazer, I,

Destined for pride, fell,

In a bonfire heat, cold,

From spark,

To flame,

To ember,

In the dark night sky,

Frozen in the breeze,

Snuffed out by a light too bright