She was beautiful and fresh like the dawn

And from time to time dreamy like the dusk,

Her skin was as velvety as a fawn,

Or the petals of the rose named "damask".

I see her now, on a bright summer day,

In a dark blue frock, with white polka-dots,

Just like then, back in time, long time away,

In an orchard, picking ripe apricots.

But her image's fading, the sky's not blue,

Long gone summer… and women wear culottes…

No longer smiles at me the girl I knew

In a dark blue frock, with white polka-dots…

She is with the Angels, dancing gavottes,

In a white frock, with light blue polka-dots…

© P. J. Oszmann (March 2008)

© Illustration created in Photoshop (March 2008)