"The Lesson of the Moth" by Don Marquis

From “archy and mehitabel,” 1927

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

archy