Phosphorescent forest

The forest dances at dusk.

The chorus of cicadas sings to the harmony of crickets, the melodious symphony breaking the silence of the summer darkness that stealthily replaces the remnants of the sun’s orange glow. Flashes of light dot the thick evening air as fireflies waltz... The understory is alive.

In the landlocked forest, I have never felt so close to the sea. Water splashes into my mind, bringing waves of memories: summer slumber on the sailboat, starry nights illuminating the harbor, the ocean under a crisp crescent moon as I lay on the salty deck. I am wading in a sea of phosphorescence.

The crackling leaves under my flip-flops break my ocean dreams; the phosphorescent ocean in my mind gives way to a forest floor, glittering under a hand-stitched quilt of fireflies.