Are You Pretty?

I'm all about love. I guess that's why I write about it. Love relationships. Love between men and women, yes, but my books also address many other types of love. Just a few of them are: the love of a son shown for his father by striving to be like him, the love of children for their mother, shown in the way they speak to her and try to protect her, the love for children by the offering of a parent's very life for them, the love between real friends, shown by loyalty, and even love of the earth, shown by stopping to appreciate it's awesomeness.

I think, because I equate love with beauty, the women in my stories are always beautiful in their own way. Some more than others, still, I see them as beautiful. Of course, I see most everyone as beautiful, and I think that's because beauty really is NOT skin deep. A friend of mine wrote a beautiful poem about this very thing. He didn't title it, so I think I will call it....... Luculenus, which is Latin for Beautiful. (Latin just makes everything feel so..... beautiful.) Here's the poem... enjoy.

Luculenus
by Michael Ezell

Who cares how pretty you are?
There are millions of pretty people in the world.
Are you beautiful? That is the question.
It doesn't matter how radiant your face is on a good day.
Do the faces of children glow in the light of your acceptance
when you enter a room?
Do your eyes smile when you laugh?
Your skin is soft you say... Wonderful!
How pliant is your heart my love?
Is it malleable enough to wrap around your
lover's frame when it has been chilled by
the winters of life?
Are you able to answer love's call
when it beckons?
Can you receive it when it desires to run through you like a
west wind through an etched valley?
Open your heart my Love.
Shed all fear of pain like a soiled garment
and let love cleanse you
Ask it to penetrate you from every side.
Let it in.
There will be tears,
but only to cleanse you.
There will be pain,
but only to strengthen you.
There will even be loss,
but it will be for your ultimate gain.
If you allow love to guide you through the crucible of life
you will know no death
for you will be beautiful
and all beauty is eternal.