Poem: I Reached for Beauty

On grasping without holding

My main line of business is speculative fiction short stories. I have three on the go at the moment in various stages of completion/disarray. In the meantime something moved me (procrastination?) to write a poem.

Even though it’s a step away from my normal fare, I hope you like it. Either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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I REACHED FOR BEAUTY

I reached for beauty. Beauty smiled
And, condescending to my pride,
Ignored my grasp, my gaping lust
For all she would provide.

And dallied she with lesser men
And taunted me with whimpers. No,
with blades, and still I reached again.
Again I was denied.

And in my fancies I divined
Great plots and ploys to catch her eye
And draw her near in fervent hope
She’d rest her hand on mine.

Did I succeed? What do you think?
You’ve tried yourself I bet and still
You’ve no more luck than I have had.
Keep trying, if you will.

But this is law, at least for me
That every glimpse must fleeting be
Each breath of electricity
Comes tarnished, famished, blind.

And every scrap of truth comes wrapped
In shit and dirt and useless crap
No path leads true to the sublime
So take your ration, stand in line.

Hammond Johns is a fiction writer and cultural critic. Find out more at https://hammondjohns.com.