Fire Caught
The gold moth did not love him
So, gorgeous, she flew away.
But the gray moth circled the flame
Until the break of day.
And then, with wings like a dead desire,
She fell, fire-caught, into the flame.
-Langston Hughes
(The poem is shared by Ms. Gazal Pasnani and is open to discussion)
An all time favorite "shamma-parvaanaa" theme of Hindi film songs has mostly been a melodramatic remark by the lovelorn protagonists. However, there are two reference I'm reminded of which I'd like share here; a sophisticated one from the west and the other from the east:
ReplyDelete"Most people love with restraint, as if they were someday to hate;
We hated gently, carefully, as if we were someday to love"
- Linda Goodman
"Had had jaae har koi, anhad jaae na koi;
Had - anhad ke bichme rahaa Kabiraa soi"
- Kabir
Happy musing...!
"Pyaar Dono Or Palta Hai,
ReplyDeleteDiya Bhi Jalta Hai Aur Patnga Bhi Jalta Hai!"
I think the poem represents the thing which we desire and the thing which
ReplyDeletewe take for granted. In this case its love. The gold moth was beautiful and
vain. We all seek beautiful things. Yet the "ugly duckling" demonstrated
her love "until the break of day" and the guy moth neglected her because
she didn't fit his criteria. The gray moths death indicates fixation on the
unattainable which results in her own demise.