The Wisdom of Utnapishtim

See notes

I will reveal to you a mystery,
I will tell you a secret of God:
only the nymph of the dragonfly
who sheds her larvae
will see the sun in his full glory.

These houses are not meant
to stand forever
and our contracts are not sealed
for all time.
What our ancestors are now
that shall we be
when the common lot of man
overtakes us.

Knowing this,
do not spend your life
wandering, in search of the wind
in that land where
the sun rises and sets
but gives no light.

Instead, cherish the little child
that holds your hand.
Make your love happy
with your embrace.
Let your eyes see the sun
until they are dazzled.

For this too is the lot of man.

Author's Note

This poem is the result of an exercise in which you extract images/text/ideas from an existing work (in this case the Epic of Gilgamesh) and rearrange them to create a new or altered meaning. While the poem presents a new idea in a new form it is not an entirely original work.