lightening bug in a jar
Lightning Bug in a jar,
and I run to catch more of the same
on cooling grasses of a summer’s evening,
the Earth’s carpet beneath my feet.
Lightning Bug in a jar,
and I watch my own private light show
flying up and down, straight and squiggly,
growing brighter and brighter on the darkening day.
Lightning Bug in a jar,
and I check the air holes one more time…
then I lay my head back,
eyes fluttery with sleep…
holding on to the remnants of the day,
and envisioning all her promises…
should the morning keep them.
.
Item of interest:
Lightening bugs or fireflies? by Todd Pack
Dance of the Fireflies (The Brown Road Chronicles)
Twanglish Lesson: Lightnin’ Bug (real-southern.com)
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steadily skipping stones 
I like it. I can close my eyes and see the lightning bugs.
That makes me happy!
Lightening bugs remind me of spending the weekend at my Nannie’s house. We never actually put them in jars; we’d just cup them in our hands and peek through our thumbs to see the light. Those were the days! My grandparents would sit outside by the well, under this humongous old tree. We’d be running around with the neighbor kids. I don’t get to run around with the neighbor kids much anymore. It’s too bad, really. 😉
Very nice. There is something about watching lightning bugs that makes the problem of the world disappear.
Thank you!
I agree. For me, it’s a return trip to my childhood – a place that was a little bit less complicated.
So when was the last time you took your shoes off and ran around the yard to catch a lightening bug. This poem makes me want to do that once again. It has been many years but they were some very fun memories I have of my childhood!
Thanks
I wouldn’t dare take my shoes off in my yard! Yours maybe – you’ll have to invite me over and I’ll try it.
I have to say that I’ve really been noticing the lightning bugs in my yard since I posted this poem, and it has crossed my mind. I have a little Coleman mesh-sided lantern that I bought for the boys a hundred and fifty years ago (which, of course, I could not bring myself to get rid of). I need to get Amanda over here to spend the night again so I’ll have an excuse to put some lightening bugs in there.
How amazing! At night while on vacation, I opened the shades and windows in the bedroom of the motor home and fell asleep watching the lightening bugs. It took me back to a more peaceful time when I caught them as a child, up through ya’lls childhood and on to Amanda trying to catch some in the yard when she last spent the night with us. A delightful trip to fall asleep by.
This year there seem to be so many of them.
I know, there’s something so peaceful about watching lightning bugs. It’s almost like a really big fish tank, but out of doors and at night and with bugs that light up. But it has the same soothing quality.