Friday poem/photo

What Beauty Knows About Itself by Chard deNiord

That it is a genius in its diversity and therefore ruthless.
That it is not enough in the end to hold the beloved,
although it seems to be at first, more than seems.
That it hosts a worm that is capable of consuming the heart in a day.
That it is perishable, like fruit, if left out too long.
That it needs a sister, like Antigone, to add something essential
to its otherwise cowardly character.
That it is transcendent form, criminal catalyst.
That it might as well be motherless since death is its mother.
That it fades much quicker than it appears.

From the Antioch Review Fall 2007 Volume 65, Number 4