The beauty of ballet
is not found in the graceful plié
nor the elegance of a perfect glissade;
it is in the twisted, broken toes of the dancer;
the slipper full of blood.
The exquisiteness of life
is not in the gathering of fame and riches,
but rather, like the danseur lifting the ballerina,
it is found in the painful sacrifice of self
that lifts another heavenward
toward the dazzling stars.
The beauty of the butterfly
is not in the shimmering iridescence
of its painted wings in morning’s light
or the weightlessness of its flitting flight;
but in the awe-inspiring metamorphosis
from lowly caterpillar to winged god,
as it slowly struggles to survive beneath
the hungry beaks of a thousand birds.
Likewise, the magnificence of Man
is best reflected in the transformation
of the lonely individual
who, despite the darkness of the hour,
finds his wings and angelic cause
in the collective community of humankind.
Beauty isn’t always lavish and dazzling,
apparent to the surface of the eye;
beauty can be elusive and transparent,
to be felt only in the interior of the heart.
It takes form when you discover something
greater than yourself in the world.
It takes meaning when the light that is you
is redirected and reflected on the
anonymous shadows of another.
The smile that is on another’s face
because you put it there;
the hope that takes root in another’s soul
because you planted it there.
The faith that no proof requires;
the love which fills and inspires.
Living in this world isn’t wonderful
simply because you are in it –
living in this world is wonderful
because of all the people with whom
you get to share the journey.
The Winter Bites My Bones 
Reblogged this on Teacher as Transformer and commented:
This is a beautiful poem about the need to reach out daily, perhaps each moment, and lift those who need support. It is in the uplifting of another, much like a dance, that we uplift our self.
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Reblogged this on bearspawprint.
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I’m reading “Dear Theo: An Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh”. Van Gogh comments he finds artistic expressions of the gnarly hard-worked hands of old women to have much more beauty than the delicate digits of the young.
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I loved this. Thank you for sharing.
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Lovely poem, especially the last line.
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Thank you!
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Pingback: 5:33 am. And Inspired. – Lead.Learn.Live.
Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, and for the generosity of re-blogging my poem.
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this is absolutely beautiful
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Reblogged this on On the Homefront and commented:
Once in a while you just have to share something that really affects you–this is absolutely beautiful………….
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I really enjoyed this, thank-you for sharing your words and thoughts. Incredibly poignant.
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I’m re-blogging this. I love it. By the way, Lou Ann, how’d you get that picture of my feet? 🙂
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Who is Lou Ann? I’m Dennis and thank you for reading my blog.
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Reblogged this on A Gripping Life and commented:
This is beautiful.
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I have a teenaged client who will soar with this – thank you for this post.
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You are more than welcome! Best of luck to your client.
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Reblogged this on The Winter Bites My Bones and commented:
I am reblogging this for two reasons. Many of you asked me to repost this, and I am grateful for your support. I also know of a retired dancer among you (Red) who might enjoy this.
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This is simply lovely. The picture above – were my feet at one time – I was a ballet dancer:)
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I read that you were “once” a dancer. You are still dancing, my friend, with your words and your presence on this stage we call WordPress. We are no less spellbound by the beauty of it all.
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That first stanza is wonderful and beautiful and all the other stanzas are a letdown after that one.
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Thank you Dennis, thank you for the self you shared, for the smile planted on my face, for adding balance and making life wonderful in the face of sorrow…
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