Chocolate mice with almond ears,
Hershey Kiss snouts, and cherry torsos:
philosophers cannot get such gifts
without thinking how candy critters
differ from real creatures,
and how much further removed
are photographs and words.
This is the philosopher's prayer:
that we not confuse
the imitation for the real,
the symbol for the thing,
the sign for the signified.
Photo of a gift: chocolate mice.
Photo and prayer copyright © 2013 by Danny N. Schweers.