The Beauty Of

by Katie Drobina

THE BEAUTY OF

A magician resides here,

in the parts of my brain unseen.

I wonder which trick will be pried

from its smart looking tophat today.

“Look over here at what I’m doing,” it beckons,

exploiting my attention with its stories,

so as not to uncover the truth lying

right before me.

And isn’t this the beauty of illusion—

that something can appear as something it is not;

because when what is

is unbearable,

how else are we supposed to survive?

The question lingers as

a whisper apparates—so quietly

I mistake it for another distortion.

I’ve heard it before—a voice

traveling along the breeze, and

I can no longer quell my curiosity.

“Look for the mirrors, beloved,” it beckons,

and I do, though I’m not sure what I’ll see.

Suddenly, the tophat disintegrates,

leaving truth in its wake.

“Is this survivable?” I ask,

collapsing with the weight of it all.

I am divinely caught.

“There you are.

I’ve been waiting for you.”

And isn’t this the beauty of Truth—

that it exists even when people cannot see;

because when what is True

is unshakeable,

isn’t this how we survive?

KATIE DROBINA

Katie is a writer of poetry and prose from a place of paradox. Her writing invites readers to hold wonder in the complexities of living as she delves into topics related to mental health, identity, and faith. Katie has been featured in Magnolia Journal, The Fallow House, The Honest Co., The World Needs More Love Letters, She Is Kindred, and the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans. After a decade of moving across the country, she now resides near Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and three children. Connect with Katie online at katiedrobina.com and across social media @katiedrobina.