Beautiful

An essay, on what the word means when I use it. written sept 2007

A truly beautiful thing can steal your breath and your heart, all in one moment. It radiates, penetrating what, at one, time, could not be seen, leaving only the barest of truths

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True beauty can not hide itself, but still, present itself in many forms. Genuine beauty can only be found by one who would seek it out, where many have overlooked it before. It may creep up on the unsuspecting mind. It may be felt, seen, heard and on the rarest of occasions tasted and smelt. Specific examples follow as such: The sight of one generation discovering another; the feel gentle caress against your cheek; The sound of silence between two people as they read each other's eyes; the taste of your own blood after biting your tongue; the smell of Christmas morning.

 

 

It can be found, sometimes, in the oddest of places in the weirdest of circumstances. It can be both mournful and joyful at once. In one such case: A long-suffering ended, by the sweet release of death. There are times, beauty can only be found through hideousness. The uprising of a people after the near desecration of a race.

 

 

It is immeasurable, though devious, and can allude the mind. It is equally, lost and gained, but is everlasting, and is never purely physical. It is engaging and hard to turn a blind eye to.

 

 

Beauty can revive latent thoughts, not otherwise brought to light, and open expressive doors. It can both inspire a passion and destroy a spirit. Although, it can be felt on, seemingly invisible, underlying levels as well.

Beauty can pierce the heart and imprint the soul.

 

Author's Note

Read at my mother's funeral

Reviews

[Ashley Armstrong]

Wow. That was really good. I'm surprised nobody has reviewed this.