The 4th of July

Fireworks light up the summer sky
In every American town tonight,
Blooming like rare flowers in
Sudden bursts of enthusiasm.
They wilt as soon as the have come,
Reminding us of our brief hour upon the stage.
Brilliant sparkling lights flicker on our eyes,
Blocking out the stars.
America wants more than the stars.
We want bigger, we want better,
We want brighter, we want louder
And no deep-wash sky
Full of pinpricks of light so far away
In forever mysterious shapes
Can satisfy our wonder.
We want now and me and
We want a show.
Today we celebrate
Our country, but also
Our culture-
Our culture that forgets
The stillness of the stars
And the larger picture beyond the portraits.