Should Have Been Smarter

The moth should have known better.

She could not resist the light, and warmth of the flame.

The moth was seduced by the flame's dazzling light.

The flame whispered promises of love and shelter from the cold, dark emptiness that has been the moth's existence.

The flame made love to the moth and thawed her frozen heart and wings.

Lost in a whirlwind of ecstasy, the moth would not see the danger.

Unexpectedly, the flame lashed out burning the moth's wings, body and soul.


The moth that soared to unimaginable heights, lifted and sustained by the flame's warmth, crashed on the hard frozen earth.

The bitter cold surrounded it - crushed it - consumed it - destroying the creature that once was.

Frost formed around the remains of the moth, reconstituting it but she would never be the same.


The moth would survive - but only in a cold, dark empty world.

She looks back at the flame and remembers the joy of her flight in its warmth and light.

Stupid moth.