15 Tir 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 · Summer 1405
In summer the certainty Khayyam names is visible everywhere: flowers that opened in spring are already dying, petals dropping, the cycle proceeding with its characteristic indifference to whether you are watching or not. Life flies — yes, look at the summer, the fastest season. Come with old Khayyam and leave the Wise to their certainties. The one certain thing is happening. The flowers are blowing and the flowers are dying, in the same afternoon sometimes.
Not lies, exactly — the wise people mean well. But they are speaking from need rather than from observation. The observation is simple: the flower dies. The summer demonstrates this with ruthless generosity.