I am a Lightening Bug

After writing my little ditty yesterday, I felt that little obsessive-compulsive part of me growing less "little" by the minute. Because, you see, the "Fairy Tale" prompt to which I was responding? It was the awesome website's 2nd Ever Prompt. Second ever. 


That means that before I got there, there had only been one other prompt. ....Are you seeing where I'm going with this? Yup, you guessed it! Even though the deadline had come and gone, I felt compelled, nay, driven to participate in the....

Flicker of Inspiration Prompt #1: Lightning or a Lightning-Bug

Write a blog post that focuses on either lightning or a lightning-bug. This post can be fiction, memory, or poem. Let these words and images carry your post to its destination.

And so, without further ado, I give you....

I am a Lightening Bug

Hello, my name is Ralph. And I am a lightening bug. 

You humans are often very kind and empathetic. These are wonderful traits; however, sometimes it seems that they do confuse  you a bit on what makes us tick.... or glow, as it were.

So I'm here to shed a little light on the life of a lightening bug:

From the time we are tiny larvae, we work, play, live, and pray for our common dream.

As we grow into adulthood, we are told thrilling tales of what this goal of ours will be like, when we reach it.

Someday, we will fulfill our utmost potential. We will perform one of life's great miracles.

But I am getting ahead of myself. You see, you humans believe that we lightening bugs only live a few days at most, but this is simply not the case. 

In fact, for as long as it takes – sometimes even centuries – we faithfully come out together, every warm summer night, and we shine our very brightest. 

We do this in order to reach our most treasured rite of passage. 

We come so close when we glow brightly enough to attract your attention, and even closer when we win your adoration. 

The adoration, mind you, is important. Very important, indeed. Because that means we have found ourselves a human ….A human who has the heart of a child.

So, once we are finally able to capture your fleeting adulation, it is our sincerest desire that we too may be "captured"…. within the beautifully clear glass of....

The Mason jar.  

Oh, the ever-elusive Mason jar. That coveted and ultimate earthly destination of every lightening bug in all Creation.

Just imagine! To hum and glow, to flit and fade within that lovely jar…. Well, ‘twould be difficult indeed to help you see just how heavenly that would be.

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Our final resting place can be—must be!—in the eyes and in the heart of our long, long-awaited "captor." 

We live for the moment when we see our glow reflected in your wondrous gaze, and in your joyful smile.

And we struggle not – why would we? – against the fact that your joy is the very last thing we will ever see.