we bought fireworks from a man with no thumbs

his tent was open year round though we weren’t sure why when we asked where his thumbs were he told us he didn’t miss them too much because there wasn’t anything to light anymore at least not for him but he could still watch others burn what they needed to burn or penetrate the sky with aimless duty he said losing his thumbs was the happiest day of his life because in his inability there was freedom from obligation so he’d watch the paychecks of others reach their climax and know that he played a small part in the moment of happiness contained in the cracks of the night sky before their return to suffering or worse, inconsequence