The Last Spark of Childhood

Fireflies flickering in the summer evening just before 4th of July

The sun setting late in the day with that warm orange glow before the stars shine

I remember hearing laughter and giggles all around me, my grandma calling for me to come eat

The smell of crisp hotdogs possibly burning, relish, mustard and ketchup misting the air

I remember tasting a ballpark hotdog for the first time with a soft toasted bun and watching the fireworks go off in the distance

My family calling the kids together to light up some sparklers as the adults ran off to fire bottle rockets into the starry sky

I remember chasing fireflies near the lake waters waiting for the grand finale of fireworks to erupt

The smell of black powder clogging the air around us, watching missiles in the sky explode

I remember this as the last summer I felt like a child

The last time I was free, no burdens, no suffering just pure freedom

That's how I'll remember my summer at my grandparents house

That's how I'll remember July in that warm

gentle orange glow cascading over the sky