Only by exclusion
of the rotting garbage,
broken toys and withered bloom
of asphalt and concrete,
forgotten frayed or gray,
the beautiful can glow;
as canvas edges fence inside,
the orchard’s butterflies,
the breaker’s foamy edge,
the glistening spiderwebs
or mountain-peaks in sun.
We let the frame embrace
the sparkling colors in its gold,
and leave what’s doomed
and ostracized to boredom
shadowed right outside the edge.
Exactly like we do
when selecting our friends.
—
“Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame.”
G. K. Chesterson
Margaret has written a wonderful post at toads of what beauty is, and is also sharing some wonderful pictures. Somehow I got hooked on beauty and the fact that we need to exclude the ugliness outside to create true beauty… and that brought me to an extended metaphor.
—
December 26. 2014
Björn Rudbergs writings 
An interesting and insightful metaphor…sometimes, perhaps, we need to “reframe” our friends, spouse, even strangers…to refocus on the beauty.
I think that we at least need to look for beauty outside the frame sometimes.
I couldn’t agree more.’lave what’s doomed’
I will admit that I tend to judge a book by its cover most days, but I am definitely working on trying not to judge others by appearance. It is one of my New Year changes that I am making. Sometimes we get to know somebody that we never thought we would ever find have so much in common.
Exactly my point.. we have to do that always.
i adore this. Sometimes the way we “frame” ourselves is not the way others see us. If we could believe more in the beauty others see – enjoy their frame of is. Great metaphor.
Hey Bjorn–all super interesting. I think you can find beauty in things that are not classically beautiful (and I know you find this so too), but it is true that framing things brings them into a special focus. You may like this wonderful American poem on a similar theme–I placed a jar in Tennessee by Wallace STevens–you may know it already. Hope all well with you especially now the days will be getting lighter! k.
Bjorn, This tells us to find beauty in the nature around us. Well written. 🙂 — Suzanne
I like the idea here of choosing to exclude the waste products of our lives in order to place a frame around what is more valuable. There must be some parameter in art.
Most beautifully expressed Bjorn! There can never be a true formula on how to sieve through for real friends! Great lines!
Hank
did like the spider webs… and you gave me something to think about
The ending was such a surprise to me that I laughed aloud. Sometimes we really clean up the mess rather than shove it out of our frames. Sometimes we try to clean up and/or reframe people as friends too. How useful is your metaphor!
An extended metaphor to ruminate on – over and over again. Very clever!