30 Farvardin 1405
Quatrain 26 of 75
“Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.”
Reflection · Spring 1405
In spring the dying flower is distant and theoretical — the flower is blooming, spectacularly, with no intention of dying yet. And Khayyam states his certainty into this bloom with the calm of someone who has watched many springs become autumns. The Wise are talking — they are always talking, debating what comes after. Leave them to it. Come with old Khayyam to where the actual flowers are actually blooming and the actual spring is actually happening.
One thing is certain. The spring is certain — the flower that is blowing now is real. And the rest is also certain: for ever, after the blow, dies. These two certainties together make the spring precious in exactly the way it should be precious: completely, without the safety net of what comes after.