The Silkworm And The Spider

023 - The Silkworm And The Spider
(After Aesop)
by Saleh Badrah

True art is thoughtful, delights and endures.
~ Aesop (620-560 BC)

A silkworm and a spider sat to work.
Soon rose the spider and began to brag:
Look, look, my friend, my web is now complete!
See how with ease and swiftness it was spun?
See how I'm more accomplished than you are?

Yes, said the silkworm, yes, but bear in mind:
Your work is meant frail insects to deceive
And will, when seen, be brushed away as dirt.
Mine, on the other hand, is meant to last
And graceful gentle ladies beautify.

Published in the Saudi Gazette, Thursday, 05 November 1998
Copyright © Saleh Badrah