The Beautiful Side

Sometimes I think I catch strangers in their most lovely moments. They're like a butterfly in my mind's net, fluttering their wings and allowing me to see the beautiful side of their wings. It's an ephemeral moment, that short time that I see them in full brilliance. But once I know what's there, that they are lovely, I can still see it in their less glorious moments. The beautiful side of their personality starts to glow brighter, like a waxing crescent moon.

I love to see people in their raw moments, their truest form, when they are unaware that I am watching so closely, when they prove themselves braver than me and stop hiding.

I want you to know that I saw you. I glimpsed you from a distance and what I saw was radiant. Like a curious child eager to touch a butterfly's paper-thin wings, I want to touch you. I'm afraid of the consequences so I stay away. Instead, I'll have to wait--let you fly as you please and let you land on my nose if you want.