Craig Goodworth, VČELA #81, 2013
Orgasm as Firefly
in the blinking darkness, the fly breathes
flickering from the stone
the fly fakes injury
to save herself
a moan pretends suffering
as the twilight opens
her flight is in a peculiar motion
stitching seams in the air
panicked and unmeasured
then at once
pirouetting, flicked spastic
and out of place
her orgasm wants to be famous
longwinded, she screams
small murder as she flickers by
a new moon appears
dim like sperm down crowning
the head she has forgotten,
the light of chance violently goes out
_______________
Ilari Pass
Review by Jared Pearce
The consideration of the firefly’s plight and flight is great fun here. I think the final line’s, “light of chance violently goes out” is a marvelous ending that both indicates the forlornness after connection, and the snapping shut of the poem.