“Not beauty as in beauty but”

Giah Sharf '26

Not beauty as in an exclamation from the man on the other side of the street, 

As in the illumination of my sister’s eyes

while she shares about her day. 

As in joy.

As in walking through a gallery

the bright light creating a piercing contrast between the work and the pristine white walls.

Not as in the low chatter from others, 

discussing how beautiful, 

as in the way the colors interact, 

as in the heart,

weighed down 

with rocks and boulders of sentiment, 

bursting through the pristine white,

evolving and shifting as you walk through the long room. 

As in connection,

soul. 

Not beauty as in the new big trend, 

nor the guilty pride

of fitting in the next size down, 

as in the cream froth of the ocean creating bubbled patterns in the sand,

the cold granules tickling and prickling your legs as you wait

for the bright green light, 

flashing for the briefest moment,

before the sun departs for the night.

As in understanding 

as in the feeling of foreign soles on the palms of your feet

as in the discomfort of those soles that are not your own. 

Not as in checking on your makeup in the store window as you hurry by, 

as in seeing your reflection. 

As in pride.