What Fools | Teen Ink

What Fools

March 10, 2009
By AnnFoy SILVER, Louisburg, North Carolina
AnnFoy SILVER, Louisburg, North Carolina
6 articles 10 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
Zarathustra, however, looked at the people and wondered. Then he<br /> spake thus:<br /> Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Superman- a<br /> rope over an abyss.<br /> A dangerous crossing, a dangerous wayfaring, a dangerous<br /> looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting.<br /> What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal: what<br /> is lovable in man is that he is an over-going and a down-going.<br /> I love those that know not how to live except as down-goers, for<br /> they are the over-goers.<br /> I love the great despisers, because they are the great adorers,<br /> and arrows of longing for the other shore.<br /> I love those who do not first seek a reason beyond the stars for<br /> going down and being sacrifices, but sacrifice themselves to the<br /> earth, that the earth of the Superman may hereafter arrive.<br /> I love him who liveth in order to know, and seeketh to know in order<br /> that the Superman may hereafter live. Thus seeketh he his own<br /> down-going.<br /> I love him who laboureth and inventeth, that he may build the<br /> house for the Superman, and prepare for him earth, animal, and<br /> plant: for thus seeketh he his own down-going.<br /> I love him who loveth his virtue: for virtue is the will to<br /> down-going, and an arrow of longing.<br /> I love him who reserveth no share of spirit for himself, but wanteth<br /> to be wholly the spirit of his virtue: thus walketh he as spirit<br /> over the bridge.<br /> I love him who maketh his virtue his inclination and destiny:<br /> thus, for the sake of his virtue, he is willing to live on, or live no<br /> more.<br /> I love him who desireth not too many virtues. One virtue is more<br /> of a virtue than two, because it is more of a knot for one&#039;s destiny<br /> to cling to.<br /> I love him whose soul is lavish, who wanteth no thanks and doth<br /> not give back: for he always bestoweth, and desireth not to keep for<br /> himself.<br /> I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and<br /> who then asketh: &quot;Am I a dishonest player?&quot;- for he is willing to<br /> succumb.<br /> I love him who scattereth golden words in advance of his deeds,<br /> and always doeth more than he promiseth: for he seeketh his own<br /> down-going.<br /> I love him who justifieth the future ones, and redeemeth the past<br /> ones: for he is willing to succumb through the present ones.<br /> I love him who chasteneth his God, because he loveth his God: for he<br /> must succumb through the wrath of his God.<br /> I love him whose soul is deep even in the wounding, and may<br /> succumb through a small matter: thus goeth he willingly over the<br /> bridge.<br /> I love him whose soul is so overfull that he forgetteth himself, and<br /> all things are in him: thus all things become his down-going.<br /> I love him who is of a free spirit and a free heart: thus is his<br /> head only the bowels of his heart; his heart, however, causeth his<br /> down-going.<br /> I love all who are like heavy drops falling one by one out of the<br /> dark cloud that lowereth over man: they herald the coming of the<br /> lightning, and succumb as heralds.<br /> Lo, I am a herald of the lightning, and a heavy drop out of the<br /> cloud: the lightning, however, is the Superman.-


You never know what can happen in the blink of an eye

An entire village destroyed from disaster

Or a single life's light blown your by the breath of God

Because the winds were blowing and if something was not done soon things that had done nothing to interfere could go up in flames



A family losing the love of one thy held close in their hearts because of natural disaster or disaster brought to this Earth by man kind

When someone has had one too many drinks

They may decide to make a decision that crosses lines with another life



Now two are dead

Lying on the side of some unnamed highway which now has a story to tell to those willing to listen

Breathless and motionless they lay on the asphalt drive

Spirits wishing to call for help to passersby

With loved ones asking God on bended knee and folded hands in the hollows of churches

Trusting that the walls withhold many secrets never told and not resisting to hold just one more

'What did I ever do to disserve this?' they ask God.



God saying under his breath in shame

'What fools these mortals be' (see footnote)



But we do not know what we really have until it is gone

The life we had breath inside

Or the one's whose breath you loved to hear breathing next to you at night

You regret no appreciating the little things as much as you should have when you had a chance



So I say under my breath with tears in my eyes every time I could have done something to help but resisted from that action because I was distilled with fear,

'What fools WE mortals be'



(A quote from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Nights Dream Act 3, Scene 2, 110 ' 115)


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