I live in the world
of Photoshop, Weightwatchers, and Covergirl.
I live in the country
of painted faces, trendy clothes, and manicured lawns.
I live in the school
of shaved legs, dyed hair, and braces.
I live in a place
where beautiful
is not something you are.
Beauty is something you do.

There is something about the way
the afternoon sun shines through the grass,
that makes me forget what the world has told me.
The painted wings of a butterfly.
The heavy breathing of the wind
in an ancient pine forest.
The virgin stars above,
shining in all their splendor.
untouched,
undefiled by any man's hand.

I live in a world
where beauty is something you do.
Everything needs improving, remodeling, and retouching.
But nature tells me differently.