Poem: Living in the Body of a Firefly
By Laurie Byro
Cotton mouthed, hung over, I wake up in my sooty dress
somehow ashamed to be seen in the utter waste
of daylight. The barbecue with all those mint juleps
on the verandah was intense but I strayed too long on the edge
of a glass. I long for a quiet train trestle, wood and paint
chipping off, not those city lights where I am one of millions.
I'm not fooled by the low murmurings of the river,
cattails to luxuriate in, but danger in the deep-throated
baritone of frogs. Damselflies are entirely self-involved
and bossy, known to eat out of their own behinds. Never mind,
there's safety in numbers. A neighbor has an easy split
in a porch screen and as I'm on a tear of wild nights
before I die, I've set my sights on their cathedral ceiling.
In the sway of tall grasses his youngest cups her hands
around me to pray. I am coveted in the moist chapel of fingers.
Tonight, I'll hang around until they are all half lidded-drowsy.
I'll skitter down to her favorite blanket where she'll wish
upon me like I am the last star falling, the last creature on earth.
Speaking of Poetry, Firefly
Readers also liked…
-
Poem: A Case for the Rocking Chair
A poem by Danielle Gasparro.
- Nov 1, 2015
-
Poem: To Be a Poet
A poem by Sydna Altschuler Byrne.
- Dec 1, 2015
Hudson Valley Events
submit eventDancing with the Star Live!
Fri., June 23
Weekday Workshop: Swing, String, Suspend
Fri., June 23, 10-11:30 a.m. — Experiment with movement and materials by making mixed-media mobiles, inspired by the...
Latest in Poetry
More by Laurie Byro
-
Poem: After My Grandmother's Love Letters
A poem by Laurie Byro.
- Mar 1, 2016
- More »
