As beautiful as the purple flush of dawn,
loveliness broke on me like some rare flower,
eyes like mountain water that overflowing on a rock,
as bright as a blazing star,
brilliant and as hard too, as electric light.
Her voice rang like a bird-call through her rustling fancies,
words sounding like wavelets on a summer shore,
beautiful pearls of wisdom slip from her mouth without even knowing,
smile flashed over her face, like sunshine over a flower,
looked like the picture of a young rapt saint, lost in heavenly musing.
Her hair dropped on her pallid cheeks, like sea-weed on a clam,
lips are tremulous as brook-water is,
laugh is like a rainbow-tinted spray,
cheeks as soft as July peaches,
her sweetness halting like a tardy May.
She is calm like a mountain brooding o'er the sea,
her breath upon my cheek like a perfumed air,
our love is pure as the snowy leaves that fold over the flower's heart,
sweet as a summer night without a breath,
my love for her is like the sovereign moon that rules the sea.
She always gave me a surprised look,
like a child catching an older person in a foolish statement.
By Seth Yuhi Musinga