The Moth

Inspired by John Donne's "The Flea"

Reflecting back upon this moth, 

How much infatuation it brought me;

It eyed me first, and now us both,

And in this moth, our growing troubles rest;

You know I cannot quite let go,

A quarrel, a glare, a disconnection. 

Yet this moth flutters back and forth, 

And this moth returns again to the light,

And this, the light, the bright flicker goes on.

Oh stay, sacred oath lies in thee-

Where I wonder, just to where it may go.

Camouflage wings flutter till dusk,

Their dark patches mirror my tired eyes.

This moth is us, decides our fate,

And for this, I shudder and hold my breath.

For closure, I look to the moth.

Let our moth never return to the light? 

And I ask, do you want this moth to fly? 

Cruel and sudden, the moth gets zapped.

Crippled thy wings, an answer to my fear.

Wherein could this moth have found hope,

Except in that light which has grown so faint?

Drowned out by the darkness we share, 

And all that’s left are the broken pieces. 

‘Tis true; fairy tales are not real:

Just a joy, to pretend and carry on,

But a waste, so let love remain unseen.

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

Of course, the flea joined the blood of the lovers in Donne's poem. But it got zapped, just like the moth. This is why God created Orkin.