Growing Up Appalachian (June Bugs) by Ben Rasnic

As kids we would tie a white string
to the hind leg
of June bugs we captured,   

the emerald backs
of those curious creatures
shimmering in the sun, circling
against a backdrop
of clear azure sky.

The kids
whose parents
were more affluent
flew paper kites

or remote control
airplanes, inevitably tangling
in the neighboring evergreens
or crashing to the ground.

I always felt
we were the lucky ones,

despite the protestations
of 3-legged June Bugs.



Ben Rasnic currently resides in Bowie, Maryland. Author of four published collections (three available from amazon.com), Ben's poems have been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize.