What Comes After Every Beauty
How easily it
Glows. How easily it goes
Out, the firefly’s green.
~ Chine-jo
The green is very faint but still is green.
The flash is very brief but still a glint.
Then after every blink comes dark, between
The promise and the living, loving hint.
Romance shines easily enough, it seems.
It doesn’t need to struggle out its call.
Below in darkness she awaits his beams.
She waits for him to land and, gentle, crawl
Upon her needs. His sticks his life and love
Inside her where she wants it. Then the dark
Returns. He flies away. He wings above
Her where he leaves her. Finishing is stark.
He goes away forever, whirr wings’ breath
His only kiss. They both have fought with death.
~ Phillip Whidden