Behind the Poem: THE ILLUSION OF PERFECTION

The poem, THE ILLUSION OF PERFECTION, (Beauty for Ashes, pg 112) was written on June 16, 2003.  This is my favorite poem in the entire book.  It's the first that was ever inspired by Mattie JT Stepanek's poetry.  (Look him up, you won't be sorry.)  I wrote it at a Bible study and meeting with missionaries who had worked in India.  I was distracted the entire time, because I had just bought an album called Music Through Heartsongs, which was a collaborative project - a CD of music based on Mattie's poems - performed by Billy Gilman with occassional voiceovers by Mattie.  I was particularly taken by a song called I Am/Shades of Life.  The lyrics just worked their way inside me and I had to write something inspired by this amazing 12-year-old, as Mattie was at the time.