The sparkler br amazed the dark br br with the beauty br of itself. br br The child br held it br br with all the wonder br it could muster. br br The dark br seemed scared br br of it. br br There were no words br to describe br br how it lit up br our little minds. br br “FULGENT! ” br her father proclaimed br br as if he had been br reading my mind. br br “FULGENT! ” br I said br (as if I had misheard) . br br “You know... br bright...shinning...radiant! ” br br He carefully constructed br his trap of words br br to capture br the experience. br br I hadn’t br known. br br I wished I didn’t br know now. br br I had loved it br in a wordless way. br br I looked br at the dictionary bobbing br br in his throat br pretending to be an Adam’s apple br br br secretly hating him br for naming it. br br The child sensibly br not letting it past the whorl of her ear br br continued br to look at it br br (like I) br beyond words and only br br in wonder.