A Whiff of Perfume (The Heart Speaks)

At the bend of the road, Mother, every morning
she passes in the automobile, on her way to school
... At times she turns,
and yearning glances meet in something like an embrace
... and she returns the greeting,
her green eyes brushing by in a smile
behind long, soft lashes.

XXXX

God! What a bird flutters in my breast!
What a joy from heaven floods over me!!
And I go on my way to school
... a sheltering wing, skilled in soaring!

XXXX

And at times, Mother, she is busy away from me
and crosses my road paying no heed,
bent over black lines,
or chattering with a companion...
How quickly then my heart grieves,
and how heavily I drag my feet
to a class... of which I take in not one letter.

XXXX

Why is it, Mother, I wonder,
that my fair-haired sweetheart begrudges me,
every now and then,
an innocent glance, like a sprinkle of perfume,
to gladden my morning,
so that I revive!!?