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The Beauty of Uselessness


We’re caught up doing useful things
Thinking about what our future will bring
Thinking of ways to put bread on the table
Competing for straight As and free cable
Tomorrow we’ll rest and put down our pens
But soon, tomorrow will turn into back then
And yesterday will be our youth, gone
Our mission on earth to make money, spawn
Do something useless, and you’ll see
The beauty of it, like in poetry
A trip to the beach, sand in your hair
The beauty of children’s smiles everywhere
If your heart’s closed, you can’t let them in
So open your soul and feel the salt on your skin
Marvel at the way you breathe in sweet air
Forget all the problems that you cannot repair
Notice the beauty of a seagull taking flight
Of the glitter on the lake beneath the moonlight
Play connect the dots with the blemishes on your skin
Ask your grandparents how their week has been
Eat candied apples, ignore your caramel grin
Then lick the remains off of your lover’s chin
Don’t think that you’re not special, ‘cause you are
To the world you’re anon but to your friends you’re a star
Like the butterfly heaving down on the stem
To the world she’s an insect, to the rose she’s a gem
Even if you don’t make a dollar off of doing useless things
Even if you won’t be able to afford golden rings
I encourage you to take a portion of your day
To forget about everything and smile for today
Because today you’re useless, doing nothing at all
And you think that you’re nobody, useless and small
Find the butterfly that’s inside of you
Show her you love her and she’ll love you too
This way, when you’re lonely and down
You’ll see the useless beauty all around

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