The Rockets that Reached Saturn (Spent Sparklers)

The state of Iowa doesn't allow much in the way of fireworks - novelty fireworks like sparklers and smoke bombs are about all you can get.  Still - if you know what you're doing, sparklers can be pretty cool.

The leftovers look cool, too, and remind me of one of my favorite poems.

The Rockets that Reached Saturn (Spent Sparklers) by Jeff Carter on 500px

The Rockets that Reached Saturn

On the Forth of July sky rockets went up
Over the church and the trees and the town,
Stripes and stars, riding red cars.
Each rocket wore a red-white-and-blue gown,
And I did not see one rocket come down.

Next day on the hill I found dead sticks,
Scorched like blown-out candle wicks.

But where are the rockets? Up in the sky.
As for the sticks, let them lie.
Dead sticks are not the Forth of July.

In Saturn they grow like wonderful weeds,
In some ways like weeds of ours,
Twisted and beautiful, straight and awry.
But nodding all day to the heavenly powers.
The stalks are smoke,
And the blossoms green light,
And crystalline fireworks flowers.

-Vachel Lindsey