Mixed Signals

fireflies seen from inside a dark house

wander like the spirits of lost children

or thoughts flickering between synapses

but it’s wedding season and courtship can be perilous:

an evolutionary arms race between related species

each with a signature pattern of light and darkness

the females get hungry waiting in the long grass

so switch to mimic other species’ flash patterns

indulge in a romantic dinner for one

as inside the dark house I toss and turn

ah for a midsummer night’s dream