There is disclosed a portable hand held fluorescent task lamp comprising an elongated plastic housing having a clear lens on one end of the housing and a hand grip portion formed into the second end of the housing; a line cord; at least two compact fluorescent lamp (“CFL”) bulbs removably disposed behind and visible through the clear lens, of any wattage from approximately four to thirty watts and of either a non-starting type or a self-starting type; an electronic ballast circuit; and an SPST function switch disposed in series with each CFL bulb, wherein the CFL bulbs may be ignited and sustained in illumination in parallel, simultaneously or individually, as determined by the respective SPST switches.