Ode to Paige

PERFECT BEAUTY
by Joanne Green


The Great Sphynx of Egypt has, over the years, Lost her nose.


Venus de Milo has no arms,


And the Liberty Bell sports a great, wide crack.

And yet each of these is considered to be a thing of beauty,


A standard of perfection.


And so it must be that we do not, as one might imagine,


Look to perfection in order to see beauty,


But rather, we look to beauty,


And thereby see perfection.