Inhale.

It’s a shout from above

A quick demand of attention

Winding down becomes a sprint for the window

Down below the streets are alive

The first exhale taken at all this year.

Children are gathered, friends are huddled

Families are close, and partners are inseparable

The tv is blearing, but it’s not our focus

Outside, neighbors pull chairs, others line their windows

Lighters at the ready, boxes in position, they wait

A quick inhale, baited breaths, we await the countdown

Eyes on the sky, clear, no clouds in sight

It’s been a year, a mix of things we can’t name

An exhale, we set the sky alight, and enjoy the next day.