i heard the sounds of the world exploding outside my window, so i went to go watch. i leaned up against my father's monolith of a pickup truck and craned my neck up towards the sky, dirty with light pollution. it's been rather overcast lately, and at this point the clouds started dripping on us. little tiny cool kisses of water sprinkling sporadically all over me. they were wonderful. i took off my glasses, and watched and waited as the neighbor kids scrambled to prepare a new assault. up up up they shot, and then exploded, solids changing into light with a burst of heat so bright... i like to watch fireworks and look at christmas lights with my glasses off because that is how i saw them as a child, back when they were the most beautiful and magical thing i'd ever seen. it's worth being temporarily blinded to see through the eyes of your former self. after the pyrotechnics ended, i wandered out to the back deck, and stood, intending fully to go lay on the deck and soak up the evening and those glorious little droplets that were still christening my body. but as i stood in the shadows, i heard the voices of my little brother and his girlfriend... and i left, and went back inside, becauase i had no place there. happy fourth of july, or something.