Lightning bugs are blinking to life
and shining deep in the woods
flashing away in search of reciprocation,
an indicator that metamorphosis can end
in finding a mate.
Their fleeting glimmer is a sure sign
that summer is here
in spite of the breezy blue skies
and a chill in the air at sunrise.
Lightning bugs are actually beetles,
burrowing in the darkness underground,
living most of their lives as larvae
illuminating a muddy world.
But their bellies are empty
and appetites endless.
Their bioluminescent beauty
comes at a cost.
Glow worms are venomous
and ravenous and paralyzing
and known to devour snails and slugs
or even a night crawler now and then.
Poor bastards ain’t got a shot to wriggle away.