Fireworks

Every year the streets would growl and crackle, pop and flash.
Whistles and explosions rang in my ears.
Last minute shopping on New Year’s Eve: colorful, cheap packaging, warning labels.
My eyes mesmerized by resplendent lights and luminous flashes that evanesce in smoke into the vibrant night.
Memories
Of lighting fuses and running like hell
Of smiles and awe
Of tradition long gone.
Now the streets are hushed and sullen.
My eyes won’t water or sting, ears no longer ring.
But I’ve saved the fireworks in memory.
I pop them every so often, to bring wonder into my life again.