Anonymous poetry archive

OneKidReadThis

← Back to the archive
Visual interpretation of "Lightning Bug": I wish I could cup your tiny hands; Around the shape of the lightning bug

No. 113

◆ Essential
March 18, 2026·9 lines·1 min read

Lightning Bug

And hold that lonely glow—

I wish I could cup your tiny hands Around the shape of the lightning bug And hold that lonely glow— kaleidoscoped by your imagination. And maybe we could transfer thoughts, Curiosity and wisdom on wings neon letters traced across the night As we let go of each other And light up the darkness as we disappear.

Continue

Stay in the room a little longer.

She wrote →← The dream

Your reading record

Checking who has held this poem...

Part of your record in the archive.

Sign in if you want your name to stay with the record.

Your shelf

Keep this one close.

Saved on this device. Part of your shelf.

Share this poem

Send the line onward, save the story image, or pass the poem to someone who needs it.

Share on XPinterest image

 

Sign in if you want shares and story actions to carry your name in the archive record.

Delivered by Substack

If this poem stayed with you, the next one will find you.

A quieter way to stay close to the work. One poem at a time.

New poems and explorations

Delivered by Substack.

Open SubstackFollow on Instagram

Listening room

Hear the poem in one breath.

A studio reading for the archive, voiced with care and restraint.

Studio reading
Lightning Bug0:00 / 0:23
Read the original post on Instagram3 likes on Instagram3 comments
Part of a living collection since September 2024.

Reading notes

A way further in

Not the final meaning. Just a closer read, a better question, and a few nearby poems worth opening next.

Listen for what the poem handles gently. That is usually where its real weight is.

Opening line

Where the door opens.

I wish I could cup your tiny hands

Center line

Where the temperature changes.

And maybe we could transfer thoughts,

Leaving line

The line to carry out with you.

And light up the darkness as we disappear.

If you came here carrying something

If you need something soft without it being weak, this is the shelf to open first.

Themes in this poem

BodyLonging

A good place to begin when you want language that can soothe without lying.

After you read

Stay in the archive a little longer.

If this one stayed with you, keep it. Then either leave a note, keep moving through the archive, or ask the Studio where to go next.

Browse the archiveOpen the Studio

Leave something behind

Notes for Collection No. 113

A guestbook for the poem itself. Leave a response, an image prompt, or an image link if it belongs in the same room.

Prompt seed

I wish I could cup your tiny hands

A good note starts where the poem stayed with you.

The reading room

Loading notes...

Every note becomes part of the room's memory.

Say what stayed with you, what it opened up, or what line you are carrying out of the room.

Sign in if you want the room to remember your name.

Recent notes

The reading room

Loading notes...