Николай Заболоцкий - Некрасивая девочка

Martin wrote such captivating music, I'm speechless! And the violins?! Thank you, friend! And you can download the music from the link on Martin's wall - https://vk.com/martin_margaryan This poem resonates with me more than ever, because as a child, I was a chubby girl with a big gap between my teeth and truly considered myself ugly compared to my friends. It took me time and love to overcome all the insecurities I developed during my school years. Now I regret spending so much time trying to please others externally, while never working on my inner self. I still believe that beauty is about the fire flickering in a vessel, and nothing else. I much prefer to hear compliments about my inner qualities than about my facial and bodily features, because you can change anything in your appearance these days, but working on your character, mood, and life is much more difficult. Poem text: Among other children playing, She resembles a frog. A thin shirt tucked into her panties, Rings of reddish curls Scattered, a long mouth, crooked teeth, Her facial features sharp and unattractive. Two boys, her peers, Her fathers bought bicycles each. Today, the boys, leisurely heading for lunch, Run around the yard, oblivious to her, She follows them closely, following their trail. Someone else's joy, just like her own, Torments her and bursts from her heart, And the girl rejoices and laughs, Overwhelmed by the joy of existence. Not a shadow of envy, no evil intent Does this creature yet know. Everything in the world is so immeasurably new to her, So alive is everything that is dead to others! And I don't want to think, as I watch, That there will be a day when she, sobbing, Sees with horror that among her friends She is just a poor, ugly woman! I want to believe that the heart is not a toy, It can hardly be broken suddenly! I want to believe that this pure flame, Which burns deep within her, Will alone overcome all her pain And melt away the heaviest stone! And even though her features may be unattractive, And she has nothing to captivate the imagination, The childlike grace of her soul already shines through in her every movement. And if this is so, then what is beauty? And why do people deify it? A vessel filled with emptiness, Or a fire flickering within it?