When I first saw you

I praised God

the Giver of sight

Then I praised God

The Creator of Light

By which I trace

The contours of your face

I see in the hue

Of each flowering tree

The glorious color

Of your fierce beauty

Each time I see you

I praise the Creator

Truly you are Beauty Incarnate

With each breath I take,

I caress the soft syllables

Of your name, like a prayer

They roll off my silent tongue

Shielding me from the world's ugliness

And saving me from the profane