Imperturbable smiles are pitiable things, somewhat reminiscent of the Little Prince’s rose who took naive delight in her four thorns, unjustifiably proud of the one thing that made her vulnerable—and laughable; or of Voltaire’s Candide always optimistically re-interpreting the facts to fit fancy. These smiles smile about everything. Is it raining? Smile. Is it morning? Smile. Did a baby just die? Smile. Is the globe warming? Smile. Is it cooling? Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile.
I met such a smile in a coffee shop the other day. It blithely rested below a pair of earnest Asian eyes and tried to look comfortable balancing itself above an intensely casual body. The smile met my glance without wavering, swelling slightly as if to assure itself it really was there.
“Tell me,” it asked, imperceptibly moving aside while the lips phrased the question, “what are you reading?”
“The Proverbs of Solomon—have you heard of them?”
“No, I haven’t. I never read the Bible but I’ve heard it is nice. What does it say?” The smile remained—expectant—never doubting that the answer would be as nice as it was. After all, doubt isn’t feasible when standing in the presence of a smile, right?
“Men are fools and reject Wisdom, even though they could have her and have life. It says that many men are trapped and ensnared by sweet lips and honeyed voices that lead to the destruction of the soul.”
“Oh?”
The lips quivered. What were those wrinkles forming around the corners of the mouth?
Login to read more
Sign in or create a free account to access Subscriber-only content.
Topics:
