My friend brought glow sticks
to hand out with the Halloween candy.
They might have been old,
leftovers from some long ago party.
This is a note to you,
the kid who came back on Halloween night
in the thick of trick or treating
to say that the glow stick we gave
you didn’t glow.
You said it calmly
As if certain we’d want to know.
There are flashes, moments when a stranger’s
whole life is illuminated for all to see.
Little girl, I wanted to say,
Your life will turn out fine.
Instead, I handed you another
and made sure this one shined.
Puff Of Smoke Poems 