Fireflies
Fireflies
Fireflies
Music by Ron Pope
Story by Zaria Robinson
When the street lights come on and the fireflies flicker
I am walking her home
Making plans.
I walked with the girl who wore the beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat on this year’s end of summer night.
“I had a lot of fun today. Our friends are so silly.” Her red covered lips spoke.
“Yeah I know. We should go out again, but just me and you.”
“If you’re trying to ask me out then you should do a better job.” She teased.
“Hey, that’s not nice.” I said playfully.
“And what are you going to do about it?” She mocked.
“This.”
I picked her up, threw her over my shoulder, and ran. I started running as fast as I could. She screamed and laughed hitting me on my back and started shaking her legs trying to get free.
“Stop it!” She yelled at me.
I spun her around one last time and settled her on the steps of her apartment.
“There happy now?”
“Yes. Very. Thank you for walking me home.”
“Sure thing. I’ll see you later alright. Goodnight.”
“Wait,” she said stopping me.
“Yeah?”
She sighed and took off her big red sun hat, throwing it like a Frisbee into the open air.
“Do you ever feel like you’re not living enough? Sometimes I just want to dance like nobody’s watching, and just live like there’s no tomorrow.”
“Well why don’t you?” I asked.
“You know what? I will.”
With her shoes in her hands I am
Watching her dance as the hem of her dress gently kisses
The grass.
She spun and spun. She twisted and turned. She even stopped once to do a cartwheel. I just stood there with my hands in my pockets just smiling at her. Something changed tonight. Tonight she wasn’t the uptight and timid girl she always was. She was free. She was her.
“Come dance with me!” She shouted.
“No. I should really get going. It’s going to rain soon.”
“That makes it even better!”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the grass, and we slow danced to silent music.
“Thank you,” She said to me, “It may not seem like it, but you taught me how to live.”
I smiled at her, and she smiled back at me before looking up at the sky, holding her hand out, and laughing.
It suddenly rains on us
She is laughing and turns up her hands.
“I better get home now,” I spoke over the rain.
With smile on her face and a final hug she said goodbye to me.
“Be safe!” She called out before disappearing into her apartment.
I nodded and waved. I continued walking and suddenly stopped. What did I do to deserve someone like that?
Like autumn turns leaves
Winter will breathe cold on our necks
Snow in our paths
Whenever she goes
All that I know about us is that beautiful thing never last
That’s why fireflies flash.
“Summer! Summer! Summer!”
Graduation flew by like a breeze and I’d have to say that I was quite doleful. I was exhilarate that the horrors of high school were over, but I’d miss these people I call family and especially her.
Instead of going to parties and doing things we’d regret in the morning, six of us decided to make a campfire and sit around telling stories and reminiscing. She sat beside me and her hand somehow found its way into mine.
I wouldn’t look at her. This was all too awkward for me. How did I, the lanky guy from chess club, get the cheerleader and star volleyball player? Of course we were good friends. She was good friends with everyone, but I still don’t know how this came to be.
The campfire had eventually burned out, but we saved the best for last. We grabbed a partner and lit a lantern sky. The six of us ran up the hill with the lit lanterns and released them at the summit. We cheered as they flew into the open air and drifted away into the sky night sky.
There she stood in her beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat from last year’s end of summer night. I caught myself staring at her more than once, and I’m sure she caught me too. She would smile and look down, and I’d turn my head away to avoid embarrassment.
She nudged me and smiled before speaking, “Smile stranger. It’s time for us to live now.”
When the summer time ends we will not
Part as friends
Things were promised in blood
We have sinned.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes, I really want to do this. I mean, my past is here. But my present and future is there. I hope you understand.”
“I do. I’m the one who taught you to live right. You go live. Don’t worry about me.”
Now there’s tears in her eyes as
She’s screaming goodbyes
I run ‘long side the car
Turning numb to the sound.
“I’ll see you!”
“Call me when you get there!”
“I will! I love you!”
“I love you too!”
She said that to me, and I said it right back. Then it hit me…
I notice a chill in the air
September is creeping up fast.
She loves me.
Like autumn turns leaves
Winter will breathe cold on our necks
Snow in our paths
Wherever she goes
All that I know about us is that
Beautiful things never last
That’s why fireflies flash
“Yeah, I think so too…”
“I’m so sorry. This long distance thing doesn’t work. I can’t see you, but I can’t meet new people. It’s too hard for me,” She spoke over the phone.
I sighed and rubbed my head, inhaling and letting this all soak in.
“I understand. I’ll see you then.”
“I’m sorry.”
And with that she hung up the phone and just like that my heart was broken. It was all over, of course though. The beautiful things never last.
Innocence didn’t mean we’re immune
To these things
Let’s blame the passage of time
Love and loss
Truth
It cost more than I can spare now
Maybe it’s simpler to lie.
“Hey there stranger.”
No. It couldn’t be. She’s in New York. She can’t be here. I looked up from my text book and sure enough there she stood in her beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat from that year’s end of summer night.
“What are you doing here?”
“Oh I was just in town, and I thought I’d pay a visit to my old friend. You weren’t at your apartment so I figured you’d be here. It was your favorite place after all.”
I looked at her, laughed, and shook my head.
“Give me a hug,” I said.
She smiled, and I stood up to embrace her.
“I missed you so much.”
“Good because I’m moving back to town.”
“Why? What happened with your job?”
“Nothing happened. I just don’t feel at home there. This is my home, with you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I still want to be with you. I want to be with all of my friends. I want to stay here.”
I didn’t know what to do, so I embraced her again this time picking her up and spinning her around.
“Then we’re going back to New York. I’m not going to be the reason that you don’t fulfil your dream.”
“It’s not like that.”
‘I’m not letting you do that.”
“It’s not your choice anyway. I’m staying her with the one I love.”
Like autumn turns leaves
Winter will breathe cold on our necks
Wherever she goes
All that I know about us is that beautiful things never last
That’s why Fireflies flash.
With my hand locked in hers, we made our way back to my apartment.
“You’re been walking around town all day?” I asked, “How did you even get back to town without a car?”
“A nice lady at the airport. She was heading this way, and said she'd drop me off at my house.”
“Where’d you say your house was?”
“Mom's old house. When she passed away she left me everything. I have that whole house to myself.”
I nodded, smiled at her, and took in her appearance. I'd get to hold her again. My life is complete now. This is the girl I fell in love with, the girl who wore beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat from that year’s end of summer night.
Music by Ron Pope
Story by Zaria Robinson
When the street lights come on and the fireflies flicker
I am walking her home
Making plans.
I walked with the girl who wore the beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat on this year’s end of summer night.
“I had a lot of fun today. Our friends are so silly.” Her red covered lips spoke.
“Yeah I know. We should go out again, but just me and you.”
“If you’re trying to ask me out then you should do a better job.” She teased.
“Hey, that’s not nice.” I said playfully.
“And what are you going to do about it?” She mocked.
“This.”
I picked her up, threw her over my shoulder, and ran. I started running as fast as I could. She screamed and laughed hitting me on my back and started shaking her legs trying to get free.
“Stop it!” She yelled at me.
I spun her around one last time and settled her on the steps of her apartment.
“There happy now?”
“Yes. Very. Thank you for walking me home.”
“Sure thing. I’ll see you later alright. Goodnight.”
“Wait,” she said stopping me.
“Yeah?”
She sighed and took off her big red sun hat, throwing it like a Frisbee into the open air.
“Do you ever feel like you’re not living enough? Sometimes I just want to dance like nobody’s watching, and just live like there’s no tomorrow.”
“Well why don’t you?” I asked.
“You know what? I will.”
With her shoes in her hands I am
Watching her dance as the hem of her dress gently kisses
The grass.
She spun and spun. She twisted and turned. She even stopped once to do a cartwheel. I just stood there with my hands in my pockets just smiling at her. Something changed tonight. Tonight she wasn’t the uptight and timid girl she always was. She was free. She was her.
“Come dance with me!” She shouted.
“No. I should really get going. It’s going to rain soon.”
“That makes it even better!”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the grass, and we slow danced to silent music.
“Thank you,” She said to me, “It may not seem like it, but you taught me how to live.”
I smiled at her, and she smiled back at me before looking up at the sky, holding her hand out, and laughing.
It suddenly rains on us
She is laughing and turns up her hands.
“I better get home now,” I spoke over the rain.
With smile on her face and a final hug she said goodbye to me.
“Be safe!” She called out before disappearing into her apartment.
I nodded and waved. I continued walking and suddenly stopped. What did I do to deserve someone like that?
Like autumn turns leaves
Winter will breathe cold on our necks
Snow in our paths
Whenever she goes
All that I know about us is that beautiful thing never last
That’s why fireflies flash.
“Summer! Summer! Summer!”
Graduation flew by like a breeze and I’d have to say that I was quite doleful. I was exhilarate that the horrors of high school were over, but I’d miss these people I call family and especially her.
Instead of going to parties and doing things we’d regret in the morning, six of us decided to make a campfire and sit around telling stories and reminiscing. She sat beside me and her hand somehow found its way into mine.
I wouldn’t look at her. This was all too awkward for me. How did I, the lanky guy from chess club, get the cheerleader and star volleyball player? Of course we were good friends. She was good friends with everyone, but I still don’t know how this came to be.
The campfire had eventually burned out, but we saved the best for last. We grabbed a partner and lit a lantern sky. The six of us ran up the hill with the lit lanterns and released them at the summit. We cheered as they flew into the open air and drifted away into the sky night sky.
There she stood in her beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat from last year’s end of summer night. I caught myself staring at her more than once, and I’m sure she caught me too. She would smile and look down, and I’d turn my head away to avoid embarrassment.
She nudged me and smiled before speaking, “Smile stranger. It’s time for us to live now.”
When the summer time ends we will not
Part as friends
Things were promised in blood
We have sinned.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes, I really want to do this. I mean, my past is here. But my present and future is there. I hope you understand.”
“I do. I’m the one who taught you to live right. You go live. Don’t worry about me.”
Now there’s tears in her eyes as
She’s screaming goodbyes
I run ‘long side the car
Turning numb to the sound.
“I’ll see you!”
“Call me when you get there!”
“I will! I love you!”
“I love you too!”
She said that to me, and I said it right back. Then it hit me…
I notice a chill in the air
September is creeping up fast.
She loves me.
Like autumn turns leaves
Winter will breathe cold on our necks
Snow in our paths
Wherever she goes
All that I know about us is that
Beautiful things never last
That’s why fireflies flash
“Yeah, I think so too…”
“I’m so sorry. This long distance thing doesn’t work. I can’t see you, but I can’t meet new people. It’s too hard for me,” She spoke over the phone.
I sighed and rubbed my head, inhaling and letting this all soak in.
“I understand. I’ll see you then.”
“I’m sorry.”
And with that she hung up the phone and just like that my heart was broken. It was all over, of course though. The beautiful things never last.
Innocence didn’t mean we’re immune
To these things
Let’s blame the passage of time
Love and loss
Truth
It cost more than I can spare now
Maybe it’s simpler to lie.
“Hey there stranger.”
No. It couldn’t be. She’s in New York. She can’t be here. I looked up from my text book and sure enough there she stood in her beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat from that year’s end of summer night.
“What are you doing here?”
“Oh I was just in town, and I thought I’d pay a visit to my old friend. You weren’t at your apartment so I figured you’d be here. It was your favorite place after all.”
I looked at her, laughed, and shook my head.
“Give me a hug,” I said.
She smiled, and I stood up to embrace her.
“I missed you so much.”
“Good because I’m moving back to town.”
“Why? What happened with your job?”
“Nothing happened. I just don’t feel at home there. This is my home, with you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I still want to be with you. I want to be with all of my friends. I want to stay here.”
I didn’t know what to do, so I embraced her again this time picking her up and spinning her around.
“Then we’re going back to New York. I’m not going to be the reason that you don’t fulfil your dream.”
“It’s not like that.”
‘I’m not letting you do that.”
“It’s not your choice anyway. I’m staying her with the one I love.”
Like autumn turns leaves
Winter will breathe cold on our necks
Wherever she goes
All that I know about us is that beautiful things never last
That’s why Fireflies flash.
With my hand locked in hers, we made our way back to my apartment.
“You’re been walking around town all day?” I asked, “How did you even get back to town without a car?”
“A nice lady at the airport. She was heading this way, and said she'd drop me off at my house.”
“Where’d you say your house was?”
“Mom's old house. When she passed away she left me everything. I have that whole house to myself.”
I nodded, smiled at her, and took in her appearance. I'd get to hold her again. My life is complete now. This is the girl I fell in love with, the girl who wore beautiful red sun dress with the matching hat from that year’s end of summer night.
♠ ♠ ♠
Thank you for reading. I wrote this back in December and thought I'd share it. Look up Ron Pope. He's an amazing artist. Go to twitter or something and tell him lollypopto sent you. Thanks for reading. I love you all.