I wrote this poem on July 29, 1981, a day I remember vividly.

That spring, I had turned thirty, and I vowed, for the next thirty years, I would keep working through each and every obstacle in my life.

I vowed I would welcome the beauty I was given with my disabilities and learn to love myself unconditionally. I would not ask myself why…

Dear Universe, if I am as beautiful within as you say, then, in turn, I will not ask why. I will accept. I will do my best on earth, eternally. I will be a light within you. I fully commit to doing everything in my power to stay positive and embrace myself with full gratitude, knowing that you made me this way for a reason.

Thy Beauty

If beauty dwells
Beneath the skin,
Then I must beam bright within

Beyond the surface
One can see
How I’ve walked this earth eternally

So tell me God, tell me true,
Why do I shine like I do?

Others tell me all the time,
Why does it seem so
Difficult each and every time!

You can order my poetry collection, including this poem, here: Reflections of My Heart.

Original text ©2025 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved. Image by Steve Jurvetson via Wikimedia Commons.