Greater and Lesser Flame

It was summer. It was a dark and still night. The moon had not risen as of yet and there was a dampness that filled the air. A lone moth saw and flew to its heart’s desire. The flame beckoned to it, drawing it in with its alluring light. The moth strove over and over to reach the flame but each time it thought it had reached its heart’s desire, it found itself unfulfilled, and left wanting. One night is a very long time in the life of a moth. It spent hours flying, arriving and becoming disappointed at not obtaining its love.

The moth grew tired. Looking at the moth brought to mind despondence and sadness. How is it one can strive over and over again so much and with all ones energies and yet not reach fulfillment? It seemed cruel at best.

The moth turned slowly and found itself suddenly between two lights, one so ever brighter than the other. It seemed that the moth had been chasing a dim and mere reflection of the source. The moth was so determined to reach its love that it did not reflect and see that it was a reflection. With new found energy, the moth arose and raced towards its life consuming union with the flame.

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With passion we strive

In hopes

To our hearts desire

We should arrive

This goal

So ever lofty

Is our single

Most important role

This flame

Towards which we reach

Is beyond a barrier

We cannot breach

Though for an eternity

We will strive

With our source to be

T’is a fact

That this union

Shall never be

There is at times

On this earthly plane

We are attracted towards

A lesser flame

It can’t be helped

To one another

We are drawn

And in some small sense

To one another belong

And this clearly

Cannot be wrong

Towards the greater flame

We are well tempered

But turn away

We become self-centered

When we see inside the heart

That greater flame

In its most inner part

Reawakens the fact

That together

We make a pact

That greater flame

That beckons so near

Is our desire

As well as

For the one we hold dear

Together now we fly

Into the night sky

Dancing in the moonlight

Towards the flame

We set our sight

Spiraling higher and higher

Leaving this world behind

In our common purpose

We become entwined

In each other

That greater purpose

We do remind

-Shiidon, July 2010

The concept of the reflection in glass for the moth came to me as I was driving home from work one day. The thought of attraction on two levels comes to mind often. We are called upon to know and to love God. We are on a never ending journey to know and understand our creator, an impossible journey, yet one we are made for. In this life there is a duality in that we are made as man and woman and then driven towards each other. It is written in many places that if we focus on each other we lose sight of what actually binds us together. When we turn towards God first our bond together is stronger.

The story is about turning towards the light; the poem is more about the connection with each other.

(I took this photo)