A COOL GREEN FIRE

By Rodney Rountree
circa 1991
(Poem #22 from "Poem Time Capsule")

Flaring like embers among the coals of a dying fire,
Which is fanned by an intermittent breeze,
Fireflies flash on and off in swirls across the marsh.
As if a match struck by an invisible hand,
A green glow ignites nearby.
The soft light reveals the smooth outline of her face
And is reflected in her shinning eyes.

We start – as a shadow looms towards us,
Then gasp in delight
As the silhouette of a black skimmer glides by.
Turning sharply at the water’s edge
It retraces its flight across the cove.
Flying inches above the surface
The skimmer’s bill silently slices through the water,
Leaving behind a wake of ripples rushing to the shore.
Like the ripples caressing the water,
I run my hand down the length of her arm.

The stillness is shattered by a sudden splash and flash of silver
When a fish erupts from the water.
I kiss her neck as she turns to look.
She laughs and throws her arms around my shoulders –
We kiss.

I can hear waves lapping against the dock,
And her heart beating.
The tall cordgrass rustles in the breeze,
And her hair brushes against my cheek.
The fragrance of her sweet perfume
Mixes with the smell of salt water.
A night heron calls shrilly in the moonlight,
And I pull her more tightly to me,
Kissing her still more deeply.

She turns in my arms and rests her head on my chest
As I lean against the rail.
Together we watch the fireflies dance over the marsh –
Like sparks blown from a cool green fire.

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