I do not yearn for the days of my youth,
The carefree barefoot days I squandered,
There was much pain mixed in with naivety,
So much I would choose to forget.
I like the person I became,
I like the knowledge that I gained,
And the wrinkles that adorn my face,
Are evidence of the the life I lived.
The lessons learned joy and sadness mingled,
Each milestone marked as years went by,
Every thing that shaped who I am,
Is told in the lines of my face.
My only regret is with time and experience,
The stars that revealed the answers I quested,
Faded with each passing day,
And soon disappeared from my eyes.
I sometimes miss the warm summer nights,
Where I chased the unsuspecting firefly,
Their glow so much like stars,
That had fallen to earth.
I'd hold them in my hands a while,
And let the glow light my face,
And then I'd set them free,
To illuminate another childish face.
I did not want to hold them captive,
Their magic faded inside a jar,
Only flying free could they bestow,
Their evanescence to our human race.
I long to sit beneath the stars,
And find the knowledge that I once sought,
I yearn to hold a firefly in my palm,
And once again find in my face that magic glow.
I lost them when I stopped believing,
As each tragic moment chased them from my heart,
My heart grew hard and I gave in to darkness,
No light could penetrate the pit.
Any light that found it's way in my pit,
was soon extinguished no light could stay,
The magic faded in the jar,
That surrounded and protected my hardened heart.
And when I finally saw a tiny light,
Fluttering in my darkness,
I was mesmerized by it's glowing light,
I wanted to follow where it led.
I was curious as to what it was,
It's origin to me a mystery,
How could it shine when others had failed,
To bring light to my chosen abode of darkness.
It wasn't a star way up in the night sky,
That I should stare at it in adoration from afar,
Nor was it a firefly to be stalked and captured,
To be imprisoned in a jar just so I could keep it near.
And though it gave me answers to questions I sought,
And it gave me a glow to my saddened face,
This light was much more than stars or fireflies could ever be,
It was the magic I found shining in your eyes!
