Life is a woman, a beautiful sorceress seducing our hearts, beguiling our spirits, flooding our being with promises. If she is put off, she kills patience within us. If she is faithful, she awakens boredom within us.

Life is a woman bathed in the tears of her lovers and perfumed with the blood of those she kills.

Life is a woman wearing the white robe of day lined with the black of night.

Life is a woman who with pleasure takes the human heart as a lover but rejects it as a husband.

Life is a harlot, but she is beautiful. Whoever sees her harlotry abhors her beauty.

A SMILE AND A TEAR

A SMILE AND A TEAR

The sun gathered up her skirts and hurried away, leaving the green gardens to the subtle light pouring from the moon as it rose from behind the horizon. I sat there under the trees, thinking about how the air constantly changes from one state to another, and looking through the branches at stars scattered like silver coins on a dark blue carpet. Far away I heard the rippling of brooks in the valley.

When the birds had found shelter in their leafy nests, when the flowers had shut their eyes and silence ruled, I heard soft footsteps on the grass. I turned and saw a boy and a girl very close to me. They sat down beneath a lush tree. I could see them without being seen.

As soon as the youth had looked around, I heard him say, “Sit beside me, Beloved, and listen to me. Smile, for your smile is the symbol of our future. Rejoice, for the days have been happy because of you. My soul tells me of the doubt that pervades your heart. Doubt in love is sin, Beloved! Soon will you be mistress of all these broad estates, these lands lit by the silver moon. You will be lady of this palace, a palace rivaling the palaces of kings. My noble horses will draw you through parks, and handsome coaches will carry you to balls and amusements. Smile, Beloved, as the gold smiles in my treasuries. Gaze at me as you would gaze at my father’s jewels. Hear me, Beloved. My heart insists on pouring out its secrets to you. Before us is a year of honeymoon. We will spend the year and much gold upon the shores of Switzerland’s lakes, in the gardens of Italy, in palaces beside the Nile, and beneath the branches of the Cedars of Lebanon. You will meet princesses and ladies, and they will envy your jewels and clothes. All that you will have from me. Are you not content? Ah! How sweet is your smile. It foreshadows the smile of my fate.”

After a little while I saw them walking slowly, crushing flowers beneath their feet as the rich man’s foot crushes the poor man’s heart.