Nightlights

One of my favorite sights in the whole wide world on a warm summer night is a field full of fireflies, or as we Southerners call them, lightning bugs. Of course, I suppose it’s possible that people in other parts of the country call them that too. Do they? Am I regionally profiling by thinking of “lightning bugs” as a Southern word? If so, my apologies. Well, unfortunately, whatever the name, it has been a bad year for them around here.

As we live on a farm there is no shortage of tall grass in which they could exist. Last year, it seemed we were treated to a light show each and every evening we turned in the drive after dark. The fields surrounding our house were full of them. Sometimes there were so many you just knew Disney was behind the production. You know, like nature's rendition of Fantasmic.

Sadly, we have been without many of our little friends for much of this summer. I wonder if the weather has had something to do with it. It has been sooo very hot this year. I guess the little things figure we don’t need any more heat generated and so their fannies remain off.

When Ren was a baby I was given a cassette of sweet little bedtime lullabies. Each song was precious but one about some little lightning bugs became my favorite right away and was the one I always sang to her. Over the years I have thought about that little song many times, trying, in vain, to remember its exact lyrics. When John-Heath was a baby I was disappointed that I could not sing it to him as I had done for Renny.

I had searched off and on the past few years for this lullaby about fireflies. I only knew a few of the words, and as it turns out I had remembered them wrong. So I was searching for non-existent lyrics. Luckily, one night not long ago I finally stumbled upon it. I quickly downloaded it and intend on ordering the CD as soon as possible.

So for the time being, in lieu of rocking babies or watching light shows, I’ll just have to listen here to a little song saved on my computer and think of one baby girl and thousands of tiny nightlights.

Look at their lights flashing off an on

Hovering over the backyard lawn.

Playing the games little fireflies play.

I wonder where they've been hiding all day.

Little nightlights - merrily making their night flights.

Shining like diamonds outside your window.

Where do they go in the sunshine?

Little nightlights.

Baby, you shine like a diamond too.

Nobody lights up my world like you.

There on your pillow your little face glows.

Do you know that you remind me of those?

Little nightlights - merrily making their night flights.

Shining like diamonds outside your window.

Where do they go in the sunshine?

Little nightlights.

By the way, a firefly's light is cold, not hot. Therefore, my theory on their disappearance needs some work.