
The perfectly imperfect you is perfectly fine and beautiful and worthy of love.
You have the AWEdacity to be you, just as you are:
Unfinished.
Unpolished.
Unapologetically becoming.
Whole—
Not because nothing’s missing
But because you’ve made peace with the pieces
Mended them in gold and made mosaic art
Complete in your imperfection
Perfect in your flaws
So,
Who are you not to be awesome?
See, the world may worship the flawless
But you—
You got that wabi-sabi soul.
You know…
That 15th-century tea house stillness
That ancient knowing that says:
Let the bowl crack.
Let the edge soften.
Let the chipped corner remain chipped—
It holds memory
It holds story
It holds truth
You’ve got the AWEdacity
To belong
To be seen
To be—
Exactly as you are.
So come
Sit with me
Take off your mask
Unclench your jaw
Rest your striving
The kettle is humming
The tea is steeping
The room is still
We raise our cups to the in-between, to the impermanence
And toast thanks to the imperfect path
To a self that is ever-becoming
Ever-blooming
Never done
Afterword: This piece draws on five poems I previously wrote (each linked above) and inspired by “wabi sabi before I knew of this philosophy.
Born from the quiet rituals of the 15th-century Japanese tea ceremony, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic and philosophy that finds beauty in the imperfect, the impermanent, and the incomplete.
It draws its name from two Japanese words: wabi, evoking simplicity and the elegance of “less is more,” and sabi, which speaks to the passage of time—a gentle melancholy, an appreciation for age and wear.
Wabi-sabi invites us to embrace the fleeting nature of life and to find quiet joy in things that show the passage of time. Cracks, wear, and weathering are not flaws to be hidden, but features to be honored. Rooted in impermanence, it reminds us that nothing lasts forever, everything changes—and in that change lies profound, enduring beauty.
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In creative solidarity, Dee
I feel like that sometimes, imperfect is alright, flawed sometimes is beautiful…you are so very welcome
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You are absolutely right. Society/our culture sets up these unrealistic ideals of beauty that causes so many to strive for perfection when the perfectly imperfect is perfectly fine and beautiful and worthy of love!!! #flawsome #beYOUtiful
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I love and feel this poem, Dawn. Change is beauty through discovery.
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Ooohh yes that is change for sure!!!! Sending you a comforting hug 🤗 hope your heart is on the mend ❤️🩹
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A really awesome poem Dawn 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
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Thanks dear Sadje. Operative part of the word being AWE-some, right?! 🤪
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Very right my dear friend
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Yes indeedy 🙂dear friend
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🩵💚🧡🩷💛❤️
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My unsettled soul loved this..fascinating..
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Oh that made me feel this post was worth it. Glad it resonated so well with you Dylan 🙂🙂
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👏🏼 😍
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Thank you Eliza!!!
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I really like your recent verse Dawn. The words and message are universal and empowering. Thank you. 🙏
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Thanks Brad. I’m so glad this resonated with you. Appreciate your dropping by. 🙏🏽🙂🙏🏽
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My pleasure. 🙂
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🙏🏽🙂🙏🏽
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