In today's world, fame is fleeting, and seeking it is a useless exercise. It attracts attention, and often the attention is destructive. It magnifies faults, and overstates ability, and, while it may bring money and other things, it isn't a goal the wise man seeks. Avoid the spotlight. It is easier to find joy.
He
gave tours of the house and garden.
He guided his guests
down the hallways
and into the rooms,
filled with trophies and awards.
The ribbons and medals were neatly arranged
in shadow boxes
made from wood and metal and glass.
They glowed in the morning light
that came through the windows,
made of Italian glass.
In the halls were photographs
of his conquests
and his ceremonies.
They were filled with more trophies
and awards,
testimonies to his career
and his past glory.
He loved to talk about his past,
while he spent his present
reminding everyone of what he had been.
He is dead now.
Others give the tours;
but, they do it in a graveyard,
telling all who will listen
about the great man buried here,
who once was famous
and great
and who collected medals and trophies.
The medals and trophies
sit in dusty boxes,
in pawn shops and the bedrooms of his fans.
They live their lives in his shadow.
They measure their happiness,
by his success.
