A New Inspiration

Lesson From The Moth

Warmth, dark, tight
Comfortable in the cocoon
But it's time to come out.

Can't stay in the cocoon forever
Cool, light, air
There's a world out there.

Wiggle, squirm, squeeze
The body bloated, wings folded
Struggle is needed to emerge.

The crack widens
Anticipation, determination, commitment
The blue sky and gentle breeze beckon.

Weary, tired, weak
The energy is waning
Surely there is help out there.

But no, leave it alone
Courage, perseverance, steadfastness
Needed for beauty to finally unfold.

Relief, exhilaration, accomplishment
The body supple, the wings full
Ready to discover the world.

The moth takes flight
Freedom, hope, strength
Soaring high above the broken cocoon.

Struggle, challenge, pain
All needed to leave the cocoon
To become strong, beautiful, free.

LM, 12/09

This comes from a story I recently heard - about how a monk, seeing a moth struggle to come out of the cocoon thought he could help it along. He cut the cocoon but the moth emerged with a fat swollen body and weak, collapsed wings. It was ugly and lived a miserable life. For a moth needs the struggle to squeeze the fluid from its body into its wings so that it can fly free. And so I am challenged to not be tempted to get quickly out of my struggles but to endure - because I want to live a free, unencumbered life.