'three forest sprouts'Beauty is Useless
Beauty is as useless as
flowers on the kitchen table
as kindness and weeding a garden
wine after dinner, hugs and dressing up for church
Beauty is as useless as
the intricately carved porches in the Romanian countryside
as making a home, giving a child a toy, and singing four part harmony
a sunset, silence, old people, and monks
Beauty is as useless as
wonder and standing in awe of spring
as mourning a miscarried child and thinking on history
and looking into the eyes of one sentenced to death
Beauty is as useless as
quiet country life, as being at home, or writing poetry
as flowers for the dead, hermits, and desert wanderers
gratitude, sharing, contentment, and making peace with your spouse
Beauty is as worthless as
a bird songs, crickets in the evening, and croaking frogs
as laughter, the wind off the ocean, or saying 'I love you'
and putting your bare feet in the creek
Beauty is as useless as
the washing of Jesus' feet with costly perfume
salt, sugar in your tea, as grieving or dancing
giving time to a street kid or cleaning a child's head of lice
Beauty is as useless as
wild flowers which wither immediately after picking them
as making your bed, visiting prisoners, time waiting for the bus
caring for the severely handicapped
Beauty is as useless as
giving gifts which cannot be reciprocated or remembering the dead
caring for an aging parent, as celebration
thanksgiving, birthday parties or your favorite old shirt
Beauty is as useless as
life at the bottom of the ocean and invisible molecular movement
as astronomy, theoretical mathematics, or dressing up for a date
as a fruit tree with forbidden fruit, contemplation, or fasting
Beauty is as useless as
a necklace handed down from grandmother to granddaughter
as purity of heart, humility, taking a shower, putting on deodorant
holding hands while walking or the moments before you fall asleep
Beauty is as worthless
as a life
"He has made everything beautiful in its time" Ecclesiastes 3:11
Beauty is as useless
as the beloved is overcome
(This watercolor and the meditation below were done during our communities recent retreat in the mountains in Romania. )
2 comments:
Thanks for pouring out your heart.
moving poem.
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