"The sharp knife of a short life

I've had just enough time..."


- "If I Die Young" The Band Perry


I see Beauty in many things. And like the ghosts that only speak to you if you notice them, they tell me wondrous tales. With my camera and my thoughts, I captured these as faithfully as I can to share with you. And by doing so, they gave me the reasons. And though the thousand reasons may not all be sweet and some indeed bitter; they are still reasons to live. Come to think about it, that is Life, isn't it?

Saturday 2 November 2013

The Secret & Riddles of the Sphinx


I've had just enough time to...  learn the secret of the Sphinx

In Las Vegas, I could not decipher the secrets of the Sphinx...


In the land of sand and gold
I was stopped by a Sphinx of old who
Asked riddles to pass or be devoured
“What creature has one voice
And is four-footed, two and three?”
“Oh, Man!” I exclaimed,
What answer can I give to that?
The Sphinx looked up in surprise
The correct answer I had supplied
For man crawls on fours, walks on two
And in old age the cane makes three

The next question was about sisters,
“One gives birth to the other
And, she gives birth to the first.
Who are the sisters two?"
If I were to think “Night and Day”
I thought out loud, I could not say
The Sphinx stood up on all fours
Surveyed me curiously and said
“Only one last riddle remains,
Answer and you will not be slain”


because I cannot tell the real from the illusion.


“Would you love a creature hideous
To save or kill for your own sake?”
That is no riddle but a trick
Either answer will be a mistake
If I were to die, it might as well be for “love!”
And I gave that to the Sphinx straight
With a mighty roar, she sprang
My eyes closed waiting for her fangs
Over my head she flew and dashed hers
Against the rock it smashed
I lived to tell this tale
But I cannot give you an end for

I never discovered the Sphinx’s secret.

6 comments:

  1. Very nice Thou San!! ;-)

    Best regards from the Netherlands,
    dzjiedzjee.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. bjebie and ineedathis added this photo to their favorites.

    1000 Reasons
    Of all the stories of the Sphinx, I liked to think of her as a tragic figure rather than a murderous beast. She gave Oedipus the answers to kill herself (if someone can give the correct answer, she is to kill herself as per the Oracle) so she will not kill again. She also did it for love. But he left without even a word of thanks and was revered for killing a monster while no one knew or appreciate the sacrifice she made.

    1000 Reasons
    And there was also a very touching but tragic short story that I always remember - "The Sphinx Without Secret" by Oscar Wilde. One of the short stories that for some reasons troubled me quite a bit.

    ShambLady catching up....still a bit slow :)
    the nicest looking sfinx!

    ineedathis
    Beautiful work of art! I have been making promises to myself to start carving again and instead I start another project, hope you had great weekend dear friend.

    ReplyDelete

  3. october blue
    A lovely image....one of the most compelling and enduring of all mythological creatures ....so many timeless riddles behind that enigmatic smile ! Great work, my friend . Thanks for your visit & kind comments ...(according to Wikipedia , 'Asian beautyberry '..Callicarpa dichotoma' is very astringent ...but is sometimes made into wine or jam ) Best wishes :-)

    Geo_grafics
    You always aim for the fantastic light and as always a clean bulls eye ;)

    Kathy_9
    Excellent work my friend and as always I enjoy your tales. . .

    Onasill
    Magnificent, excellent composition with a beautiful perspective Thou

    ReplyDelete
  4. oh, my e-mail... migalayte@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

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