Lampyridae
There are only a few fireflies-
star sparks - lightening bugs-
this early summer’s eve in my sixties.
Decades ago, twilit lawns
would fill with children
running to catch the magic
in their hands. I was one once
carefully cradling the glow
and then letting it go.
Almost every language on earth
seems to have a word for these winged
lamps from antiquity, the Lampyridae, glow worms,
beetles
with numerous species and flash patterns,
some synchronized
some not. But all enchanting…
hotaru*
luciole*
ildflue*
Glimworm*
koukouy*
blysbjalla*
kunang-kunang*
lucciola*
ildflue*
swietlik*
pirilampo*
licurici*
lagomu afi*
svetluska*
luciernaga*
lysmask*
kipeperushi*
Te mau nota*
Pryf tan*
*Japanese
*French
*Danish
*Dutch
*Haitian Creole
*Icelandic
*Indonesian
*Italian
*Norwegian
*Polish
*Portugese
*Romanian
*Samoan
*Slovak
*Spanish
*Swedish
*Swahili
*Tahitian
*Welsh
poem copyright ©2025 Anne Selden Annab
