Beauty

People may say
         that beauty is abstract
that it is a concept
         or a notion
a paragon or an ideal
         an archetype
or a quintessence
         a gold standard
by which to measure

But I say no
         I have held beauty
in my arms
         stroked the hair
caressed the flesh
         felt the pulse
of warm blood
         coursing through
her veins
         looked deep
into her eyes
         watched as
a red-rose blush
         spread down
from her cheeks
         over her neck
and across her breast
         a beauty to be culled
time and time again
         and again

John Lyons