Foolish Mole I Forever for a Minute

Once upon a time in a tiny mountain kingdom there was a young mole couple who made their home on a vein of gold. They did not know they lived on a gold mine because they were just moles.

Mrs. Mole made a pile of gold nuggets in one corner, but her husband was upset that it cluttered the burrow. He kept telling her to get rid of the rocks, but she insisted they could be worth something. "They're too shiny," Mr. Mole said, "Nobody wants rocks that remind them of the blinding sun."

So one day when Mrs. Mole was asleep Mr. Mole dumped all the nuggets out their back door into the river.

A Carp fish found the pile of gold and was attracted by the shiny colors. He built an underwater castle out of them and would just sit in it, proud that he was the only fish with a glittering home.

It so happened at the time that there was a call for gold in the Kingdom. The tax collectors were desperate because the King's coffers were empty.The King promised a handsome reward to whoever came forward with the greatest treasure.The carp heard of the King's predicament and offered his golden castle.

The King was so grateful that he had his wizard reward the Carp by turning his coat to gold. He also gave the Carp the power to survive in dirty streams when other fish would die. They were romanticized in song as "Golden fish in a muddy stream destined to endure."

To this day there are many variations of Golden Carp which are kept in pools around palaces and in fine gardens.

About the moles... Well Mr. Mole encourages his wife to collect all the gold he can, Unfortunately, to this day they still live in tunnels underground and consequently have tunnel vision.

© 1996 Stefan des Lauriers

FOREVER FOR A MINUTE

I was building a sand castle
It was at the end of day
And the sun upon the waves
Was a wand of crystal rays
I looked at wrinkled fingers
All speckled with golden sand
And the universe
Was in the palm of my hand

I thought about the infinite
And it felt like 
Forever for a minute

Then I gazed through a spyglass
At the clouds above the coast
And I saw the light of stars
That had given up the ghost
It was then the billowed sail
Of the moon came into view
Much like a phantom galleon
Manned by a skeleton crew

I thought about the infinite

The galleon was old and leaking
But not headed for the shore
It was bound to go on seeking
Till it could sail no more 
If you think the journey's over 
When you've finally sighted land
Your dreams like empty shells 
Will be washed up on the sand

I thought about the infinite...

© 2002 Stefan des Lauriers