Life's truest beauty

To some, my goal might seem futile:
         To prove to those whom might listen that
the things they lament the most -
        those imperfections that they can’t change,
                    but deeply wish they could –
              are but deep facets of their limitless beauty.

Does the Earth apologize for her majesty?
        For her graceful fields,
      touched by soft, blowing winds?
    For her deep forests
       yet left untouched by mortal hand?

Does she regret her barren deserts -
          wastelands without life?
      Does she regret a wild mountain’s plume
             rewriting her subtle, beautiful landscapes?

But she does not!
      Nor should we!

Do we not stand in awe of her majesty?
        Do we cast shame on her unrestricted whims?

Does the worn fisherman not find
       the ocean’s outpouring on frightful tempestuous waters
               as stunning as her scent in the peaceful morning,
           as he recalls maiden voyage yet again?

Why then must our imperfections hold us back?
         Why then should our thoughts
     convince us that we are undeserving of anything?

For it is our imperfections that tell us who we are,
       that tell us where we’ve been,
            and remind us what we’ve been through!

They are but short stories in the grander chronicle of our lives!

Such a beautiful story is it –
       each man’s voyage to here and now,
           and on to the uninhibited potential that lies in wait.  

See you not Earth’s vast glory in all her endeavors?
      Why then hide your own?

Who has told you that any such limitation
       should ever hold you back?

Why do you wait?
           What do you wait for?
       Why are you still here?

Find yourself!
              Know yourself!         
      Even if you don’t know the way!
For you will find that it
       is what your heart knows above all else,
            and has known since you found yourself here,
                    since your body was given a heart with which to beat!

Wait not for your imperfections to fade!
         For on that day, will you have no stories left to tell,
     no goals left to pursue,
              and no love left to give.

Embrace them, know them, and love them,
         and you will find they are your greatest friends,
                 and Life’s true inspiration.
                                - end -

        - March 8, 2006