White Rhino

WHITE RHINO BY DAN BEAM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 30” X 40”

I AM BEAUTIFUL

I am White Rhino

I am beautiful because I am in the web of life

And life is beautiful.

I know I am beautiful because I am loved and I love.

I am loved by the fresh joy of rolling winds

And the miracle of flowers

And the wonder of stars.

I know I am loved

Because my mother kept me close by her side for many seasons

And because my “crash”, my kin and friends,

Welcome me and give me a sense of belonging

And belonging is always beautiful.

I know because the bright beaked Oxpecker birds

Are attracted to my beauty and they care about me.

Through their chatter and whistles, they warn me

Of something approaching that I should know about.

They ride on my back and keep me clean and healthy.

I understand beauty because I understand what I love.

I love my friends…

The Sun who keeps me warm

And the soft, sweet, wet mud

Who invites me to lie down

In her cool embrace.

I love gentle afternoons on the grassy plains

That nurture me with limitless beauty,

Even when, like all beauty, it can sometimes frighten

With its vastness and unpredictability.

I love the immeasurable Savanna

With its unhinging abundance of sounds and smells

That amaze and renew my spirit.

I love my place and purpose in bringing beauty to this world.

I am loved and I love. I am beautiful.

—by Dan Beam