Self-Analysis by a Moth

—Anjum Wasim Dar

drag — *Yet undescribed member of the Order of Lepidoptera of the Paraphyletic group, one of the 160,000 alive on this planet.*

Think not of me as a tender butterfly,
though I am a painted lady, breeding
in Royal State. Beware! I am deadly,
my habitat disturbed, not comforting.

I hide and rest by day, not for fear of the
butterfly. I believe in peaceful coexistence,
having a long witch’s nose, not casting spells,
keratin I love, in cashmere, wool, angora, fur.

Yes I often hit the wall. I am confused by light,
but when I fly by it, I frighten the flame. I love
to play the game. I bite, chew from side to side,
hiding in basements, cool fabric folds, inside.

Nature created me to warn mankind of the
temporal world. Whatever lies unused, I eat
and destroy, so the world ends. And I, too, die.
Or else, so delicate, how long can I fly?

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, away from moths and all decay.

(Italics qouted from Matthew 6:19-20 KJV)

Author: The Bardo Group Beguines

The focus of "The BeZine," a publication of The Bardo Group Beguines, is on sacred space (common ground) as it is expressed through the arts. Our work covers a range of topics: spirituality, life, death, personal experience, culture, current events, history, art, and photography and film. We share work here that is representative of universal human values however differently they might be expressed in our varied religions and cultures. We feel that our art and our Internet-facilitated social connection offer a means to see one another in our simple humanity, as brothers and sisters, and not as “other.” This is a space where we hope you’ll delight in learning how much you have in common with “other” peoples. We hope that your visits here will help you to love (respect) not fear. For more see our Info/Mission Statement Page. View All Posts

One thought on “Self-Analysis by a Moth”

This is a wonderful piece, Anjum Wasim Dar. I’m a huge fan of moths and butterflies, and I love how you connect them with reminders to us of the temporal world.

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