What Would We Do Without Beauty?

“Such a vision of wonderment,/ as do all of nature’s stunning sights,/ filled me with contentment/ and buffered me . . . " Poetry by Ernie McCray

My eyes have taken in
so much natural beauty
in my life,
as I’ve seen striking waterfalls
as I hiked
in Havasupai land
in the deep recesses of the Grand Canyon,
and in the wilds of Yosemite,
and I’ve watched in awe
as waves the size of buildings
crashed on the North Shores
of Oahu in Hawaii.
 
I’ve lived in Tucson
and San Diego
where sunsets outdo themselves
in their splendor
and I’ve stared in wonder
at stunning views of red rock formations
in Sedona, Arizona.
 
But I’ve seen nothing more beautiful
than when I was dining
with my Maria’s family
and looked up for a moment
and gazed upon
a full moon rising above
a skyline
that reflected
the colors
of a setting sun
over an ocean’s bay.
 
Such a vision of wonderment,
as do all of nature’s stunning sights,
filled me with contentment
and buffered me,
if but for a few moments,
from the troubles of the
world.
 
What would we do without beauty?

Ernie McCray is an activist for love and peace who acts and sings and writes both poetry and prose, a man who rises each day to do whatever he can, no matter how small or grand, to make the world better in some way.

Unapologetically.