Juhi Modi, Raleigh, NC
"Barren Bramble"
Isolated it stands,
Hidden from first glance
Its stray wan twigs bleak and nude among its bald surroundings,
Split not in the ends, as follicles, but in the roots where its problems stem.
An insignificant presence, existing.
Alive but not living,
For the mere sake of it, struggling
But trying - grappling but, yes, aspiring
To not just be breathing but thriving.
Cast away to the area of high insensible traffic,
It catches sight of those with blossoms who are idolized,
And so it attempts to push out the positive energy stored inside
In hopes of creating a beauty, like those flowers, that channels the hope stored within.
Instead of the delicate and appealing blossoms sprouting,
A bristly and dark cluster emerges, one after another.
The unexpected, uncommon is looked down upon
And refused to pass as beauty.
Beauty is a journey;
The long road to the final destination of self-acceptance
But with detours along the way diverting that love towards others.
Therefore, beauty is not expressed synonymously
But expressed as reflective of the within;
Beauty is raw, and it is truth.