In The Eye Is Beauty

Playing with wordplay

Beauty is in the eye....
Beheld in symmetry
Held by Adonis
....of male instincts struck by female form
....of women seeking man's protective storm
Gazing on humor
Tearing, as the peacock unfurles his color
Glazing over as media creates a norm
Reflecting hope as new generations are born
Held by mother
Beheld together.

In the eye is beauty.

Beauty is in the mind....
Writing in poetry
Right by consensus
....of male obsession for a female prize
....of women laughing because man tries
Thinking on matter
Filling, as the lake of equality does stir
Emptying while the shallow river of vision cries
Comforting intellect projects a future that flies
Right by father
Writing a letter.

In the mind is beauty.

Beauty is in the heart....
Pumping in memory
Pumped by genesis
....of male strength powered by female care
....of women nurturing a man who can share
Bleeding on a shoulder
Crying, as the joy of life fills your lover
Accepting the mistakes of humans who dare
Helping fallen boys and girls we shouldn't scare
Pumped by laughter
Pumping love better!

In the heart is beauty.

2022

Author's Note

This is a complex poem. I hope you might go back and just study it. Some rhymes jump from stanza to stanza. Some as a pair. Others stay in their stanza. (Gotta keep those unruly rhymes under control. This was going to be an attempt at free verse and look what happened.) each line has to be complete with the first line in front of it. Lines twist and turn and some lines carry some deep meaning. I tried to convey that women find humor in a man beautiful. That a father Writing a letter is beauty and it is ugly how girls have to be scared. I worked with a guy in construction who was one of those perfect looking people. He said a symmetrical face is a beautiful face. So much more to beauty than that but the thought has stuck in my brain. There's a certain shallow truth to it.

Reviews

[Neville]

Beauty is without any doubt in the eye of the beholder .. so very many things impact upon the way one perceives this or that and beauty of course, is no exception .. I very much enjoyed reading these words sir Bill .. it was like riding a magnificent stallion holding on with each convolution, twist and turn .. and I am not ashamed to let on that poetry such as this to me is like a breath of fresh air ............. Neville

[William Michael Reeves]

I can't believe I missed this review Neville! Insightful and poetic. And I must admit this is the first I've heard of my poetry as a stallion. That makes me proud! Sin as it is. Please, take all the breaths you like and I'll be trying to breathe you soon!

[Neville]

..... no worries, no problem, my pleasure :)

[Chris Shaw]

This is a complex poem Bill, but it did remind me that humour is such a fine attribute in a male, that along with kindness. Looks mean nothing. I have always thought, those attracted by looks alone are shallow. As to beauty, it can be found where you least expect it. I have seen rusted gasometers ugly on the riverbank turn into bronzed beauty at sunset. It amazes me where you can find beauty. You just have to look. Just a few thoughts as I read your lines. Thanks for sharing.

Chris

[William Michael Reeves]

Thanks Chris. The first thing that came to mind when I thought about what women find beautiful about men it always came back to humor. Laughing with us and at us. Peacocks flashing their tails as the females laugh at their efforts till they cry. I like your thought on ugly can be beautiful. I've seen that as well, and often see that in the people I work with too. Thanks. Trying to get back around to you...

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

Bill, I love your wording in this piece! Beauty is in the heart! I love that line! The last stanza is my favorite!
Pumped by laughter
Pumping love better!
Nicley penned!

[William Michael Reeves]

Thanks Kathy Sue, and your Imagination. 101 ideas ran through my head writing this. The last bit kind of crosses over with melting in laughter. Thanks for your alliterative review!

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

My pleasure!

[Patricia]

I really enjoyed this. Reading your take on the sexes is enlightening. Not an easy task to be sure. Women are so complex or so I’m told. But laughter, yes a sense of humor is the most attractive trait a man can have in my opinion. If ya can’t make me laugh or are too serious all the time I am not interested. I don’t think woman are difficult to understand I just think communication and listening are traits all of us lack especially between a man and a woman, that’s what is complex. I love the way this is written it is kind of like the communication between a couple goes back and forth soft and poetic to off beat lines that aren’t really off beat they have rhythm and it flows… well done!

[William Michael Reeves]

I got a review of this and discovered I never responded to yours. I'm sorry. Feel bad. You wrote an insightful comment and here I, the typical uncommunicative male, ignored you. You saw a lot of what I write in this. The wordplay gave it that back and forth. But really, women are impossible to understand. All those hormones and pens that vomit poetry over spilled cups of coffee. All a guy can do is read a woman's poetry and try to gleen something that allows him to get out of trouble when he needs it. Not that I've ever been in trouble. Thanks Patricia. Trying to get back to you....

[Patricia]

oh that's alright dear William, no need to apologize. well in response to your response let me say at least you have an edge with the fairer sex that are poets that vomit their poetry over spilled cups of coffee because you get to read what is in their hearts and heads. It is those women that don't spill that will really leave you scratching your head :)

[Miss Sharon]

In the eye, heart and mind is beauty...and you have woven them together in a beautiful and remarkable post! I love it. ~Sharon

[Writergurl]

Beauty is in the heart....
Pumping in memory
Pumped by genesis
....of male strength powered by female care
....of women nurturing a man who can share

Love this part, I really enjoyed the whole write, but this stood out.
there is beauty in your words and intriguing thoughts,
well constructed thoughts.

[William Michael Reeves]

Takes two to Tango. We've managed to survive as a species together. Hard to believe sometimes. Whenever I write male/female poetry I feel like I need to write an apology for my primordial peers who can't seem to shake the caveman out of themselves. Thanks, Your thoughts mean much to me!

[Betty Hermelee]

What you see in the mind’s eye is beautiful, imaginative, sexy, strong, and what you see in the heart is love; it seems that the male is prominent in every stanza; of male strength, of male obsession, of male instincts….that which is share with the female….yes pretty complex!
Best
B.

[William Michael Reeves]

I always get a little nervous writing from a female perspective. I put a lot of thought into what I knew women found beautiful about men. Humor seems at the top. But since I'm the writer makes sense my gender would be prominent. Tried to find the together of it all too. I guess the complex subject would inspire a complex poem. Thanks Betty

[Betty Hermelee]

You’re very welcome!

[Mr. C]

I love the creativity and the word play. You are very talented writer. I look forward to exploring more of your work. I very much enjoyed the male and female breakouts and return to the central theme. I am a fan.

[William Michael Reeves]

Thank you Mr. C. Glad to have a new fan. Gets hot when my pen starts writing. If you like wordplay I would recommend 'Dan's Journey' on my first page and 'Seeing You' on my third page. Read you soon!

Bill

[lightsong]

You are REALLY good with poetry or if as You say (wordplay)! this is not complex to me, this is simply about love, about harmony, about kindness and forgiving and accepting humans as they are give a help if needed without forcing. "In the eye is beauty." THIS strikes my brain... yes real beauty is NOT what You see with your two eyes but what You see with the "one eye" i.e the third eye, in the heart, the mind, the soul that were real beauty is. outstanding piece dear Bill.

[William Michael Reeves]

Thanks Song of Light. You lit my ego and sang of my addiction. Poetry. I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I manage to pull one of these off. Like a drug. Then I need to write more. This one was a little different. Possibly because I started as free verse the finished product felt at times abrasive. At times funny and sometimes profound like free verse can be. Not a complex subject. Just the structure of the poem. One of these days I'm going to do a chart and graph of a poem and see what kind of art piece it creates. Then write the poem over it. Your words of beauty inspired some of this. Thank you!

[lightsong]

"a chart and graph of a poem" what is that Billigami? it sounds another unique creativeness from your mind! Oh and I am humbled by your words and You are so welcome :>