fireflies- june 30

fireflies courtesy wunderground

A single firefly alighted on the willow tree last night next to my chair. I greeted him. He flashed on and off in the dark and we sat in companionable silence. I remembered something that I thought I should write about and his presence encouraged me.

My sister’s dog died yesterday. It was a sad day all around. He died in her arms from old age and she was brave and loving enough to see him through that last hour. It is an incredibly sad and incredibly powerful experience. I had that same one with my cat Buddy after 18 years together.

I could not help but think that both of us might of wished to have held our brother in our arms when he lay dying so far from home. It made me think of fireflies and summers long ago. I have posted an excerpt from my as yet unpublished novel, Conor’s Joy, under “poetry/fiction” (click the link above) in honor of families and summer, of loss and love, and the many blessings of the ties that bind.