touch my ugliness

i am ugly

dirt, blood, and all manner of filth cover my body

i am ugly

my clothes have been tattered and torn

i am ugly

my eyes are hollow but searching

i am ugly

i fight and claw for any means of survival

i am ugly

my heart is a host of pure evil

i am ugly

my soul is blacker than coal

You are beautiful

clean, pure, clothed with richest purple

You are beautiful

i cannot help but stare

You are beautiful

Your eyes glow with hope

You are beautiful

Your soul is a brilliant white

i am ugly

i see beauty every day

i am ugly

beauty runs away

You are beautiful

Your hand touches my face

You are beautiful

i gasp in astonishment

i am ugly

no one has ever touched me gently

You are beauty itself

i stare as you smile and then walk away

i am ugly

my mouth curves into a smile

i am ugly

i place my hand where you touched my face

You are beautiful

In your eyes I saw acceptance

You are beautiful

You dared to touch my ugliness

_______________________________

I have wanted to write this for a while and just haven't been able to get the words to come together. I knew what I wanted to say but wasn't sure how to say it. So as always, I waited for the right time. It always comes. This morning it came. I was sitting in church and heard words that stirred my soul, and found words to write this 'poem'. 'touch my ugliness' is a dare for you to go reach out to someone right now. Jesus did, and if you claim to be His follower you should be touching people everyday. It can be a simple smile, it can be a hug, it can be giving someone a place to stay, it can be simply sitting in silence. The point is that you take time to care for someone. For we are all ugly. We all need someone to touch our ugliness.

Go. I dare you.