Ugliness

Hello there! I don”t know why but this morning I was thinking about all the ugliness in the world, and there is plenty. Some of my poetry deals with certain aspects of the ugly side of life but a lot of it is about the wonders of the natural world. I find contemplating that helps me deal with the seamier side of life to which we are exposed constantly through social media, news media and even through others’ writings…mia culpa.

Anyway, the train of my thoughts inspired me to put pen to paper and this is what came out…first draft only, so be kind but please let me know what you think. (I have no idea why it is double spaced and can find no way to remedy it. Help me if you can.)

Ugly is Ugly

Ugly is such an ugly word

Ugly is as ugly does

How ugly to call another ugly

To make ugly judgements

Is ugly–different than me

An ugly height

An ugly shape

An ugly face

An ugly eye colour

An ugly hair colour

An ugly skin colour

An ugly gene

An ugly belief?

Who decides what is ugly

Ugly is as ugly does

How do I know I’m not ugly

Are you ugly, you ugly SOB

What is ugly

My own ugly eyes

My own ugly phiz in the mirror

My own ugly friends

My own ugly relatives

My own ugly appetites

My own ugly reactions

My own ugly ideas

My own ugly thoughts?

We are all ugly in someone’s eyes

Ugly is as ugly does

How to contain that ugliness

How to retrain that ugliness

Ugly the new lovely

A blinding light that stops sight

Make me blind that I might see

A howling wind that deafens my mind

Make me deaf that I might hear

A touching kindness in my blindness

Cut off my hands that I might feel

A bitter taste that numbs my mouth

Stitch my lips that I might not hunger

A putrid miasma that fills my nares

Burn my nostrils that I may scent goodness

An earthquake that rocks my world

Distort my world that I might find balance

See real ugly

See real lovely

Know the difference

Ugly is as ugly does.

Ciao for now, Rosa