Non-Newtonian

When I was younger, my brothers and I had a pet frog named Peter. On summer nights, we would go outside and collect fireflies

Then bring them in and feed them to Peter. We put the fireflies in Peter’s tank, and watched as he swallowed them whole. My mom would shut off the lights, and we would watch in awe as Peter’s stomach lit up, like a heartbeat, on and off

Like a metronome of illumination

At the time, I thought it was just a cool thing nature did. But looking back now, in a morbidly comforting way,

I take relief in knowing that life can persevere in such calamitous circumstances

When you’re at the grimmest of points,

Unemployed, Heartbroken, or in the stomach of a frog,

Life can still shine through, even if briefly

And it can be beautiful, even for a moment

Good and bad both come and go, like a heartbeat

Like a metronome of illumination