Nobody checks the tin lid
of the firefly jar for glittery updrafts.
Glow escapes starward unnoticed.
Nobody checks because it’s childish,
and very serious solid matters are
the pride of the century, like: building
buildings, balancing balances, visiting
places in short periods of time before
returning to the balancing of buildings
atop the mountains we’ve paved flat.
Once I accidentally crushed a firefly
with the tender barefoot of my youth.
I thought its babies were glowing
in the backyard grass only to find
when scooping them into the lid
that all glow is limited-edition.
LOCATION: Lincoln, Nebraska – Met with Karen for Taco Tuesday at the 12th Street Pub; not sure why this childhood memory came back to me.
