Stars Fall on a Midsummer Night

Every midsummer night,
stars fall among us.
Bright or faint, long or brief,
magnificent or ordinary,
everyone looking up cries out in wonder.

Yet the brighter the light,
the more fiercely it burns.

At the end of its life,
a falling star illuminates the sky,
trying to drive away the darkness,
trying to drive the darkness
from the eyes of those who watch.

The watchers’ eyes light up,
then dim in an instant.
Only excited cries remain,
and the anticipation
of the next star’s death.

Again and again,
falling stars light the black night
and those dark eyes.

Again and again,
the watchers cheer
and call out.

In the end,
everything grows quiet.
The stars’ charge has come to nothing.
The people pack up their chairs,
go inside,
and sleep.