Svetlana's Letter

Our classmate Svetlana is a rather extraordinary person—she writes funny stories, and as for poems, she has composed an absolute ocean of them. Our institute's wall newspaper was completely filled with her poems, and everyone read them with pleasure, so it was precisely thanks to her that our wall newspaper was incredibly popular. Even our vice-rector, pretending he was just passing by, stood at the display for a long time, reading all her poems in a row.

So once, five years after graduating from the institute, while stopping by her apartment on business, I accidentally saw a letter to her friend on the table. Since it wasn't in an envelope, I quickly read this poetic message, clearly dedicated to some hero of her memories:

Not young, sins—countless!

A sly gaze with a squint.

But still, there is charm

In this man!

And it is to this very charm

That they fly, like moths—

Nadezhdas, Olys, Valyas, Tanias…

And other "little beasts."

But HE is a LION! And therefore—

And other "little beasts."

But HE is a LION! And therefore—

He is the King among men!

He gazes regally at the ladies

Gives them notes…

But the poor ladies do not realize—

The LION has a QUEEN!

She idolizes him

And is faithful only to him!

Oh, did Svetyochka write this about herself? Well, that's the feminine secret of her soul, and I mentally vowed to keep my knowledge to myself.