As a kid I always heard about catching fireflies in jars.
I think that is a midwest thing
Or maybe southern.
In the pacific northwest we didn’t get those bright bugs.
We only got forest critters and animals,
Not the sticky humidity produced creatures.
One winter a bunny snuck into our basement.
It ran across the floor as I went down
To wash dirty clothes.
Its little fur perked up from frosty January.
There is something to finding warmth inside
When the outside is so cold.
Sometimes I think that I used to be a firefly caught in a jar,
Or maybe a rabbit in the basement of a family house.
Once upon a time I let myself feel the cold
Exposed and naked on my skin.
I didn’t have the fur of the bunny rabbit,
But the bruised muscles of a tired body.
And I let it shine
With the warmth from my own heart.
At the same time the world seemed to unscrew the stiff lid
That tried to dim my light.
Batting against the glass
Over and over.
I eventually became
Free.
~This is Day 2 of my 30 poems in 30 days challenge for National Poetry Month. Subscribe so you don’t miss a poem!~