The Little Green Streetlamp

500 words

A lonely green streetlamp longs to be noticed—until a shivering kitten's plea awakens her hidden power, leading her to discover not just her strength, but the warmth of being truly seen and loved.

A little green streetlamp stood on a corner in a quiet neighborhood.

She looked forward to the end of each day when her light would turn on, and she could help her neighborhood see through the dark.

Sometimes her light glowed for dogs straining at the ends of their leashes as their owners strolled under the silver mist of the moon.

Other times children dashed in and out of the shining light, playing make-believe games until their parents called them in for dinner.

And there was always the elderly couple with wrinkled smiles, holding hands as they rocked on their porch swing.

The little green streetlamp liked watching these people and brightening their lives. But she often wished they would look up and see her, too.

For the little green streetlamp was lonely.

One snowy twilight, a tiny black kitten with a long black tail curled into a shivering ball against her pole. Her light had not yet turned on, and she strained to see him through the dark.

“Please, will you help me?” asked the kitten. “If I do not find warmth soon, I will freeze.”

The little green streetlamp looked around. Then she realized—the kitten was talking to her!

Her pole puffed out with excitement.

“I will turn on my light!” she declared. “I will find you shelter.”

There was just one problem: the little green streetlamp did not know how to turn on her light. It always came on by itself.

Still, she knew she had to do SOMETHING to save the kitten.

She said in her sternest voice, “Turn ON, light!”

Her bulb did not listen.

“Hrmph,” she thought.

Next, she pictured the warm tingles that overcame her just before her light turned on.

Her bulb stayed dark and cool.

White snowflakes now speckled the kitten’s fur. His eyes closed. He whispered, “Thank you for trying.”

“No!” shouted the little green streetlamp. “I will not give up! I will save you!”

The little green streetlamp stretched deep into her electrical roots. She concentrated like she never had before.

There was a flicker…

And then a POP…

And then WHOOSH!

The light blazed down with all of its brilliance onto the kitten and snowy neighborhood. A cardboard box and blanket poked out of garbage cans lining the street.

“There!” she cried.

The kitten smiled. “Thank you.”

The little green streetlamp beamed.

The kitten dragged the blanket and boxes next to the little green streetlamp. He snuggled inside until she could only see his long black tail.

The kitten came back the second night to share the little green streetlamp’s light.

And the third.

And the fourth…

Winter turned into spring.

Spring turned into summer.

When spring came again, a big black cat with a long black tail proudly brought his new kitten family to the little green streetlamp.

She stood on the same quiet corner of her neighborhood, but her light shone brighter than ever before …

…because she finally knew how it felt to be loved.