An Exercise

Today I did an exercise with 130 other people
We walked around a room in silence and looked at each other.

My first reaction was a self conscious reaction
How did my make up look?
Did I have food in my teeth?

My second reaction was a shallow reaction
Their hair was fumbled, and their beard too scruffy

My third reaction was peaceful
I became okay with looking at people
because I could look at people

I didn't have words to create meaning, I just had people
who had lines on their faces, scars on their chests,
and teeth in their rose colored mouths.

I shared a new found understanding of what beautiful really was,
and what it means to say that we are all individually unique

I hope to one day color my face with lines of stories well told
Dimples so worn in they sag
Scars visible from my fortunate mistakes
and teeth so individual they shine

I want to be that.