grab for what must be beautiful

Long ago, we used two words 

For the worth of a house, a car, 

A woman— all the same to men 

Who claimed them: things 

To be entered, each to suffer 

Wear and tear with time, but 

Greater than the love for these 

Was the strong little grin 

One man offered another
Saying, You lucky. You got you 

A big, fine ________________.
Hard to imagine so many men
Waiting on each other to be 

Recognized, every crooked 

Tooth in our naming mouths 

Ready like the syllables 

Of a very short sentence, all 

Of us crying mine, like babies who 

Grab for what must be beautiful
Since someone else saw it.

 

[Jericho Brown {1976- } 'The Legend of Big and Fine', from The Tradition]