a spark to set the world on fire

Jessica Minyard

you are outside in the dark, alone
you can hear the music, feel the bass
rattle through your chest

there are a few stars, winking
like lazy eyes

she’s in there, you know, but
she said she doesn’t want to see
you

you imagine the booze flows freely, hot
and sticky down throats, spilling
on dresses, lowering inhibitions, until

she forgets you

you catch a flash
of yellow hair, the sweet arch
of a slender shoulder, and sigh

the sloping walk down to the beach is short

you take off your shoes

the white sand is still sun-warm, but
cool when you dig in your toes

there is a crack, then another
pungent odor of sulfur wafts down

fireworks burst and shimmer
against the black sky
Streaking and shattering and exploding like tiny stars

red
blue
green
purple
pink
silver
gold

like her hair

the colors ripple across the waves
and disappear

you cuff the legs of your jeans and
step into the water, chill stuttering
your breath

but

you’ll have the fireworks to keep
you company