A governess, a guardian of the young, so known and dear as to be called 'Mother' and a noblewoman, just barely 12 by age, named Portia, sit talking as the sun sets the stage for a cool, cloudless night.
'Mother, who invented candlelight and the slow, delicate brush of lips? '
'Some rakish boy, pawning his experience for present pleasure, no doubt.'
'Say true, Mother. If you were a man, would you find this common body worthy of love? '
'You show no blemish child, and display a certain bony voluptuousness - I should think.'
The governess begins to comb and braid Portia's hair for sleep.
'I saw Portincio this morning, in the courtyard.'
'The boy from Padua? '
'He's a man Mother, and his cast portents a passion so sweet - it shakes my very frame.'
Mother chuckles, 'Even hopeless birds sing in cages.'
'I am not hopeless! ' Portia writhes angrily, like a snake about to strike but mother calms her.
'Shoo, shoo, now, ' Mother purrs, brushing all the more gently, 'I meant nothing of it.' After a moment, she continues, 'Love is more than coquetry, little one, and it soon passes - like a parade, or a rash. For now, be happy, you are like the chaste stars - unreachable.'
'rakish adjective Having a saucy appearance indicative of speed and dash. Dissolute; lewd; debauched. dashingly, carelessly, or sportinglyunconventional or stylish; jaunty; characterized by a devil-may-careunconventionality; having a somewhat disreputable quality or appearance.'...like bri
'bony voluptuousness'....does that mean the girl's chest looks like her upper back? ?
5 stars come to you, anais. Who REALLY wrote 'your' poem? ? ? ;)
btw aka 'by the way' [[ used to insert a new idea into a conversation or to bring something up (like a reminder) ]]...'There's an entire field of a study dedicated to the various conspiracy theories regarding Shakespeare's "true" identity.'
The last six lines are 'to die for'. Portents of Romeo and Juliet? ? ? ? ? The language made me think a bit (though I've read VERY little of 'him') of Willilam Shakeseare. : ) bri
'portents Plural form of portent pôr′tĕnt″ noun An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; an omen. Prophetic or threatening significance. Something amazing or marvelous; a prodigy.' Hmm?
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Good poem. Learned counsel from the mother, albeit a foster-mother.5*