The Luna Moth, the Poet, and Philosopher
“Carlotta Capuccino [in her article], ‘Plato’s Ion and the Ethics of Praise,’ takes the . . . view
that poetry deploys ‘groundless praise’ and ‘promotes a dogmatic and passive style of life and
thought,’ and so is ‘essentially incompatible with philosophy.’”
~ http://ndpr.nd.edu/news/plato-and-the-poets/
The pupa waits. Dogmatically it will
Become a Luna moth. It waits in sleep
Or something like a sleep. It waits, is still,
Or nearly still, its waiting patience deep.
Sometimes it makes a sound. Sometimes it moves
But mostly it is passive in its wait.
Full incarnation comes when it approves;
Emerges into beauty; finds the state
It meditated on in its cocoon.
It never had to think. The Luna spreads
Its perfect wings and if a coded rune
Is on each wing, a colored mystery sheds
No logic, meaning, or direction for
Our minds. We do not need to ask for more.