this quiet town

watching bugs slam into streetlights

reaching for something beyond them

do they think of that light as a friend?

is the sunrise a curse or a godsend?

i wake up at three in the morning

or maybe “wake up” isn’t quite the right word

i look at the red blinking stoplight

and then back to my pillow i try to return

maybe bugs are all destined for space

maybe if they go high enough they become stars

but we made these distractions

which snuff out the moonlight

and keep them from ever escaping the start