A financial letter to translate, can’t concentrate, to
focus my wandering mind I looked at the account
of a savage young man faithful to his love
His wonderful girl at the third telegraph pole, waiting
as he instructed her to - she’s dead, died in a fire,
but he savagely said
She must wait for him when he left for the army
when he returned her spirit informed him she had
never been unfaithful, could not help dying
Asked for permission to leave; he replied ‘Wait
until I finished my life service’ - she would not
escape from him - and she smiled
He still greets her at the telegraph pole every evening
I cry every time I read it, beautiful pain and mystery
of irrational devotion to love
Such bravado, gallantry, integrity, loyalty to her
limpid eyes clear as water; such utter sadness,
such noble beauty in primitive emotion
What an introduction to The Little World of Don
Camillo, my heart is putty in the hands of
an author like Guareschi!
Giovanni Guareschi ‘The Little World of Don Camillo’
Reprint Society, Victor Gollancz, 1853
‘Third Story’ p. 32-41
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