Friday, January 25, 2013

Burned by the beauty...


the lesson of the moth  by archy (Don Marquis)




i was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires

why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him
because it is the conventional 
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered 
candle instead of an electric 
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense

plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get 
too close it will kill us
but what does that matter 
it is better to be happy
for a moment 
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time 
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for 
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then to cease to
exist than to exist forever 
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is to come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves

and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy 
he went and immolated himself 
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity

but at the same time i wish 
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself


archy

Thank you Erinys.

The racial pet for Draeneis are moths. I have collected them in every color, from every corner of Azeroth. They should be found near flames, lights, false and true (including Darkmoon eyes and lights of shadow). What I haven't had a chance to tell her yet is weeks ago I named a beautiful blue harpy after her, with a slight twist: Aerynys.

2 comments:

  1. I'm really glad you liked it :)
    I love those black and white illustrations of moths and butterflies, so elegant and pretty.

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  2. I was a printmaker by craft while getting my BFA, so that intaglio feel always speaks to me. I keep opening my cocoons, ever hopeful. Hey, maybe they need an incubation period! Next time I create one, I'll let it sit for a day or two...wouldn't that be magical!?

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