"The Lesson of the Moth" by Don Marquis

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

- Don Marquis