The Beauty of Consciousness

And most likely,
what keeps a person beautiful
is not the face, not the body,
not achievement or its want.

Rather, love and courage,
paired with a touch of defiance—
if only he learns to believe
that however dark the world around,
ahead lies light.

Stop, or turn and flee,
and darkness wins.

The dead never see darkness;
they dwell in it alone!
So living brings darkness too...
it always comes.

This knowing itself—
this is beauty.