Beneath The Sweater And The Skin
How many years of beauty do I have left?
she asks me.
How many more do you want?
Here. Here is 34. Here is 50.
When you are 80 years old
and your beauty rises in ways
your cells cannot even imagine now
and your wild bones grow luminous and ripe,
having carried the weight
of a passionate life.
When your hair is aflame
with winter
and you have decades of
learning and leaving and loving
sewn into
the corners of your eyes
and your children come home
to find their own history
in your face.
When you know what it feels like to fail
ferociously
and have gained the
capacity
to rise and rise and rise again.
When you can make your tea
on a quiet and ridiculously lonely afternoon
and still have a song in your heart
Queen owl wings beating
beneath the cotton of your sweater.
Because your beauty began there
beneath the sweater and the skin,
remember?
This is when I will take you
into my arms and coo
YOU BRAVE AND GLORIOUS THING
you’ve come so far..
I see you.
Your beauty is breathtaking.
—
Credits: Author: Jeannette Encinias, Studio Yuki Photography, Thank you Russ Thomas
absolutely beautiful. these words moved me deeply.
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thank you, me too
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Magnificent Beth…this i resonant for all who read it, and touches my heart deeply
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I loved it and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read
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Pingback: beneath. – Waiting for the Karma Truck
thank you for sharing this, mimi.
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Just brought tears to my eyes. ❤️
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Powerful words
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So beautiful ❤
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It is –
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So beautiful. Thanks for sharing
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It was my pleasure
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🙏
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Oh, my! Such beautiful writing to read as I begin my day. I think of my mother when reading these words. Thank you.
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how wonderful, I think we each can connect with it on some level
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beautiful, beth
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Beautiful!
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Moving 🙂
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I think it would be impossible not to be moved by this
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This rested upon my heart like a benediction… Thank you, Beth….
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❤️
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Oh my gosh this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing, Beth
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You are very welcome
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Thank you for sharing this, Beth.
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Happy to –
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You should have given readers a tissue alert. ❤️
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❤️
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Just beautiful. This is stunning.♥️
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❤️
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Wow. Just wow. And so, amen.
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Yes-
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Absolutely wonderful. I posted it on Facebook. Hope you don’t mind.
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I’m very pleased- I first read this after my friend discovered this beautiful poem and was happy to share it ❤️
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very good
Sent from my iPad
>
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I’m glad you enjoyed it
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Incredibly beautiful.
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❤️
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Pingback: beneath. — I didn’t have my glasses on…. | Rethinking Life
That is fabulous…!
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It is powerful
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What a wonderful tribute to the years of life!
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I agree
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Oh wow! You took my breath away. Absolutely beautiful — and so apropos to what I wrote today — thank you for your beauty and wisdom.
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It is and I loved it immediately when I first read it
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Thank you Beth. This is felt so deeply.
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I loved it and read it over and over
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It is worthy of the ‘over and over’ reads.
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I have tears in my eyes. 💛
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It is hard not to tear up
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Reblogged this on Daniel Kemp and commented:
Truly moving.
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I have just visited the Rehahn ‘ageless beauty’ photography exhibit. This fits so beautifully with it. Thank you.
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oh, how lucky –
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Ahhh…beautiful words and pic! ♡( ◜◒◝ )♡
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❤
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This should be everyone’s inviting reality. An enchanting, romantic poem. Thank you Beth!
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It should)
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Wow. That’s fabulous.
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❤️
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wow, this is utterly glorious! heavens to betsy…copying!!!!!!!!
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I loved it too
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Beautiful…
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wow – that is so beautiful and inspirational
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I loved it as soon as I saw it
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Just lovely—the poetic composition as well as the image. Nicely matched—like a pearl-buttoned cardigan.
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❤️
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What a marvelous poem and photograph showing the beauty of aging. Why can’t more people see this? Thank you so very much for sharing.
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I so agree and it was my pleasure
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Absolutely gorgeous!
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isn’t it so ?
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I needed that–from the photograph to the last line.
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I’m glad that it appeared at a good time for you-
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and you have decades of
learning and leaving and loving
sewn into
the corners of your eyes
So that’s what all those things are. Well, I earned them.
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Every one of them
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I see your beauty, and you are amazing. Your words leave me in awe.
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MAGNIFICENT IN MANY WAYS!
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)
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:0)
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
BEAUTY PERSONIFIED…BENEATH A SWEATER.
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Ty
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U R WELCOME!
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