From: paulchem@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Icarus)
Subject: The Koan of Smiling Widely.
Organization: The Net-Anarchists of SCI, Inc.
              Flaming Homer Division.
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 06:07:30 GMT

1] Another story.
   Comments by e-mail.

2] 

                         The Koan of Smiling Widely
                         --------------------------

"So tell me a story", I. spoke, slowly, well satisfied with the 
way the lunch had gone.

A. blinked prettily, and tossed her head, getting her raven-black hair 
out of her eyes.

"I dont know any stories."

"Come on everyone knows stories. Here, let me start one for you.
Once opon a time...", I. said, treading that faint line between 
being light-headed and sounding foolish.

A. closed her eyes, holding her head in her hands.

"Well, once opon a time ....There was a little princess, who loved to dress 
in white and eat lots of candy at country fairs, and dance the 
waltz secretly, alone in her room."

She opened her eyes.

"When it rains,
 I remember the sunset,
 Of that golden hour,
 When first my eyes were opened,
 And I,
 Saw your eyes,
 No longer blind."

 I. felt ashamed after he said it, but it couldnt be helped.

 She colored and dipped the tip of her finger into the glass of Mountain Dew.

 "And what eles did the princess do ?"

 "Well, the usual things. She looked in the mirror a lot and waited and
  dreamt of a prince who would save her."

  "From what ?" he asked, and couldnt find anything she could possibly
  have to be saved from, except maybe from her bright orange lipstick.

  "Did the blessed knight,
   Hear that maidenly call,
   Arrive by car,
   In the dead of night,
   From near, from far,
   Or (tiny hope) not at all?"

   
   "Yes, he came all right."

   "On a horse, in armour ?"

   "Why, astride heavenly steed, of course, how else do
    princes come ?"

   "Aha", I. said.

   'Aha, my poor soul, you art done for.' he told himself, secretly
   not loudly.

   "But the horse was better looking of the two."

   "Aha", I. said.

   'Aha, courage!, there is hope yet, she likes you.' he told himself,
    secretly, not loudly.

   "A penny for your thoughts"

   "I was thinking, you know, what happens when a tree falls in the forest,
    when theres nobody there to hear it. I know its sounds simple but
    look at it from the trees point of view. I mean its so completely sad,
    falling without anyone hearing it fall, dont you think ?"

    'Yeah right' he told himself, secretly not loudly as he imagined how those
    collar bones would look at closer range and nodded replies to her
    comments about Existential Pain and the Pointlessness of it all.

    "I dont think you're listening."

    "Of course not." not caring to explain the meaning of that denial.

     "When you smile,
     Like a cat,
     And hold it for a little while,
     Yes, just like that,
     Your mouth takes so much space,
     I could slip in a slide-rule side-ways."


     I. was so moved he could only stand up suddenly and applaud.

     "Lets get out of here", A. said.
   

3] Stay Cool.


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.    ~ ~                                                                     .
.    o o      signito ergo sum.              paul chemmanoor.                .
.     |    i sign therefore i am.            Computer Science department.    .
.     =                                      Univ. of Colorado, Boulder.     .
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