a glowing firefly

Star swirl shows

Sparkling comet tails

Celestial dance in night sky

We used to watch

Stunning plays of heavenly lights

The gods sent starlight to our eyes

It’s different now

The sky above

We’re different down below

We’ve made a ring of pollutants

We separate heavens from our globe

Can’t see the stars

The asteroid shows

Can’t see a light most nights

Can’t see any gods, any guides

Can’t see any reason why

I yell at the black sky, gods don’t abandon me

Don’t leave me without your light—I’ll die

I curse, I cry, and then I see

A glowing firefly

Kaylee Baucom lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she is a Professor of English at The College of Southern Nevada.