Summer Dream Poem (Audience: kids)

Summer
Comes and goes
In a flash.
The last day
Of school
A day
Of joy
Looking forward
To the many
Lazy days
Ahead.

Days
Of swimming
In friends' pools
Hot pavement
Beneath bare feet
Run
Through neighborhoods,
Licking
Melted strawberry
Ice cream
From
Your fingers
Not caring
At all
If
You
Get to bed
Early.

No school.

Cold
Air conditioning
Blast
Pool soaked skin,
Chills
Up and down
Snuggle
Warm, fluffy towel.

Hot
Humid air
Suffocating
Ideas and thoughts
Nothing
Comes to mind
Everything you learned
Escapes.

A jar.
Six holes
Punched in the lid
Running around
In the yard.
Catching, grasping, flying
Breathing hard,
Sneaking quietly,
The elusive firefly.

One pops in.
Clicks
Its head
Against the top,
Trying
To escape.

Two, three,
Four, five
and six
Scooped in,
Between sweaty fingers
And cold metal.
To light
The bedroom,
A new night light,
Glowing.
Illuminating
Dark walls.

One escapes,
Pushes its way
Through one hole.
Another follows.
They are free.

Tightly pressed eyes
Try to sleep
But peak above
To see
The ceiling
Aglow
Stars in my sky
No star stickers
Can imitate

And the jar?

Empty.