The Lesson of the Moth

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 cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty.
our attitude toward life
is 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.

This is by Don Marquis and was used at a leader’s retreat I attended once. I’ve never forgotten it and thought I would share it here.

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