Firefly

    It was as Indian summer. All that was missing was Forsythia against the white washed fence.  The big round lilac bush, when blooming, the smell was unaddressable.  Tall poplars in the very back of the yard stood tall and stately against the fence.  Rose bushes and peonies out there.  Sometimes Dan and Carol grew corn, or radishes. There was a pear tree3, and peach as well, and a rose of Sharon right off the patio. The crab apple particularly beautiful during late spring.  The family was getting ready for fall, which would be here soon enough.  But tonight they were getting ready for the last bar-b cue of the summer.  One could smell the steaks and sweet onions  in tin foil , smothered with butter.  These were the specialties of the house.  Dad was the grill god.
   I wasn't perfect by any means.  but I was just so very much like him. I was also alot like mom, a blended mixture,  the worst and best of both.
    This had been a wonderful day.  Mom told me she had wanted to be a singer or dancer.  Her voice was quite beautiful.  Mom ,in her loving way, told me, "you should always have liquor in the house."  Dad was an alcoholic, as I had always thought.  However this was not something  I could nor could not say            

                                                           Firefly                                             

       I ran up the hill of the lawn in front of my house.  My arms were above my head, and I brought back nothing.  She stopped, and waited for the fly to light ,then she chased after it again, and the ritual of rising arms ,running, and "Yes, I got one, mark, come here with the bottle".  The bottle became home for a caterpillar, butterfly or occasional frog.
      Inside, to make the bottle a cozy home, Mark and I had arranged long green leaves, and twigs poking holes in the top cover (their firmament), the metal top was screwed right back .  After I screwed the top back on, I carefully made sure the lightning bug was safe.  I sat down and looked through the bottle at my firefly. This might be, beside the lady bug, I thought, was the only other friendly bug.  I held the bottle carefully between my knees.
     Unscrewing the cap, I gently stuck my hand inside the bottle.  I could see her long black body with the slim orange strip. Slowly , I dipped my hand in the bottle and took the bug out. I  slowly opened up my hand.  Then suddenly a bigger hand slammed mine.  The firefly fell to the ground. I could see a big foot, it wanted to step on my bug.  I wouldn't let it.  Trying to push it away, I realized he was just to big.  He stamped on my hand and i pulled it away.  My firefly, its phosphorescent streaked on the cement.