To a Fellow Artist

It’s often asked: wherein does beauty lie,

In mystery bound, proportions magical,

Deciphered only by the observer’s eye,

Or in some poet’s words deemed lyrical?

I know that beauty’s not in sparkling dross,

Perfection is for fools; an empty frame,

In masterpieces, lines are found and lost,

And here, in life’s chiaroscuro lives a flame,

A caring smile, which many a burden lifts,

Your human touch, light of the world around,

Some word of comfort always in your gift;

In such a soul will works of art abound,

With artists’ hands, with voice and eye we strive

For truth and beauty; freedom here will thrive.

Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

29TH December 2023