The fire-eater and twirler
had the beach crowd glued
until a few boys lit
fireworks that exploded
shimmering over everybody.
Nothing could divert
the crowd faster
than fireworks
booming and sprinkling
over earth. I did not
try to read a poem
about passion bursting
like a geyser.
I did not
have a microphone,
or audience,
or fireworks.
Copyright © 2026 by Indran Amirthanayagam. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on May 2, 2026, by the Academy of American Poets.
