
When I was just a little girl
And the summer nights seemed so wild
I ventured into the darkness
And I felt so fearless next to a fire
I was mesmerized
Hypnotized
I was catching fireflies
I held my glass jar and saw
My reflections from the fire
I never understood my simple desires
They painted pictures so vivid
And the light from the fire in the dark was like a ribbon
I was simply mesmerized and hypnotized
I was catching fireflies
And they glittered and sparkled
Little lights against the night
My fireflies I had collected
My heart filled with delight
I danced in the woods
Twirling round and round
I was simply mesmerized
Hypnotized
I was catching fireflies
When I awoke the next morning
In the light of day
Their fires had all gone out
And I was to blame
For the extinguishing of their flames
I didn’t understand
For they were still held captive in my jar
No lights, no flight they had all gone dark
No longer any spark
No longer mesmerized
I had to release my fireflies
I let go of my fireflies
It’s with the innocence of a child
That we sometimes become wild
And allow the simple longings of our heart
We get caught up in the lights
And the dizzying heights
Of all we thought we needed in our lives
But sometimes in the chasing after
We are simply mesmerized
And hypnotized
And we begin to realize
We were simply catching fireflies
Lisa Benjamin Muench
June 2019