I laid on the beach

and looked into the endless cluster

of waves falling over themselves. 

I saw the curve of the world and thought about 

where I could’ve been tonight. 

 

I stood on the roof of my hotel 

and spun around three-hundred 

then sixty degrees 

to see the fireworks bursting in every direction. 

I saw a lighthouse flashing in the distance and thought about 

where I could’ve been tonight. 

 

I stood on my balcony 

and watched the flags get whipped 

by the vicious wind 

and looked down on the street at all the young inebriates piling onto buses. 

I looked up to the faroff lightning, flashing across the whole sky and leaving a purple 

hue in its wake 

and the last straggling fireworks shoot up to paint a part of the heavens that the lightning would not touch and I 

looked at the darkly spinning atmosphere and imagined that I was looking down into 

space, tethered impossibly to a chair of rusted metal 

and the wind made me feel like I could’ve really fallen into the sky. 

Then I thought about 

where I could’ve been tonight.

 

O.C., MD

July 4th, 2026