 new year by samuel best in the garden children handle sparklers like magic wands hot trails glimmer for a moment spelling out names or patterning the dark with lines and circles before vanishing you stand watching in the doorway with a glass of wine eyes tracing the designs as they faint somewhere in the house a cd player is turned up and it takes you a moment to place the song a gaggle of voices in the other room start to sing along but fall away after the first verse you tap the beat on your glass before taking a sip the wine is sharp but nice and you drink again deeper this time hey stranger is this where you ve been hiding a woman s voice behind you you turn and smile wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she leans into you having fun you ask and she looks up at you before nodding how long to go not long now she says in the distance a banging sound echoes you think of earthquakes and thunder before you see the whole sky illuminated pink and white for a moment the children in the garden all stop to look up sparklers fizzing still in their gloved hands the fireworks are keen you say and you both stand in silence waiting for more but none come back in the house the cd player is turned down and a tense hush forms quiet for a while the only sounds a faraway siren a dog barking then in sudden unison every voice shouting a countdown ten nine here we go you say squeezing her close your eyes both fixed on the sky eight seven any resolutions she asks six five to spend more time living life you say and less time waiting around for it to start four three mine is to capture down every moment i feel boundless she says i ll write down where i was and why i felt it the first one is tonight because you never know what the new year will bring two one good things you say i have a feeling you hold on to each other eyes reflecting the sky as overhead fireworks blossom like orchids under a hot sun issue 2 samuel best 