Moth or  Flame ?

A solitary moth escapes my closet

And circles the candle flame

That pierces the darkness of my room

Delicate wings defy good sense

Fluttering dangerously close to the enticing light

An attraction that cannot be explained,

A destiny that can’t be denied

Is the moth flirting with disaster or with ecstasy?

I experiment

Turning on my lamp

The moth is not distracted or fooled

The artificial light from the bulb

Holds no attraction

It is too static and lifeless

The flame is beautiful and alive

A thin green line separates the

Deep blue core from its flickering

Golden crown

My observation of this drama leads me to ponder

Am I the Moth or am I the Flame?

The moth continues to dance

Around the undulating flame in a

Primal Obsession

The Flame seems to welcome its

Flattering  advances

Am I the Moth or am I the Flame?

The conflict is almost too great for me to bear

Endlessly tempting, taunting and titillating each other

I am temped to blow out the candle

And end this holy war

But I will not …I am too involved, an integral part of the play

Will it ever end?  Do I want it to end?

Tracing Kaleidoscopic images

Created by the shadows parading on my walls

I again ask myself

Am I the Moth or am I the Flame?

Or both?

First you had the Power

and I had none.

Now I have the Power 

and you have none.

When we Both have

the Power

We will become One.

       -Phineas Atwater