Abridged
February, 1998
Dearest Laetitia,
Recently, while browsing through a magazine, I caught sight of you for the first time. I was immediately taken by your beauty. At once, I made it my task to discover everything I could about you.
"Laetitia," such a beautiful name. My background in ancient languages told me that your name is derived from the Latin word "laetus," meaning "happy." At first, I wondered why your name was not derived from "pulchra," or "beautiful." On second thought, however, I realized that no one erred in choosing your name. For "happy" describes your personality, as best I can tell. "Happy" must describe how you make others feel. I know that seeing your face brightens my day. Although "happy" only begins to describe the way you make me feel, Laetitia, I believe that it is the beginning of a story that will never end.
It may seem rash of me to say this, never having met you. I admit, it's only a dream. We could never be together. We will probably never meet. I will never be allowed to gaze into your beautiful blue eyes. I will never have a chance to hear you call my name. I can only imagine. I can only hope that somehow this letter reaches you.
I don't know how to speak French, but I am willing to learn. I only hope that you are willing to teach me.
With Love,
Christopher
And once more in French:
Ma chère Laetitia,
Quand je feuilletais récemment un magazine, je vous ai apercevu pour la première fois. J'ai immédiatement été très impressionné par votre beauté. J'ai promptement désiré apprendre tout à propos de vous.
"Laetitia"--un beau nom. Ma conaissance des langues anciennes m'a dit que votre nom dérive de le mot latin "laetus," qui signife "heureuse." D'abord, j'ai songé pourquoi votre nom n'a pas dérivé de "pulchra," ou "belle." Mais ensuite, je me suis rendu compte de personne ne vous donne un nom inexact. "Heureuse" décrit votre personnalité, autant que je sache, parce que vous devez rendre tout le monde heureux. Je sais que quand je regarde votre visage, mon jour s'éclaircit. Bien que "heureuse" ne peut pas dépeindre comment je pense de vous, Laetitia, je crois que c'est le début d'une histoire qui ne finira pas.
Peut-être mes mots sont imprudents, parce que je n'ai pas fait votre connaissance. J'admets que c'est seulement un rêve. Nous ne pouvons jamais être ensemble. Je ne regarderai jamais dans vos beaux yeux bleus. Je n'écouterai jamais votre voix quand vous criez mon nom. Je peux seulement imaginer. Je peux seulement espoir que vous trouvez cette lettre.
Je ne peux pas parler français, mais je suis prêt à l'apprendre. J'espois seulement que vous êtes prêt à me l'apprendre.
Avec beaucoup d'amour,
Christopher
Well now, what else? This is "Sham."
In this latest issue, I've abstained from adding a whole bunch of new sections. Instead, I've concentrated on fixing up the old sections, and, of course, updating them. That means new poems, updated Syracuse pages (including the now active address for NED's Poetry Corner), and a removal of all broken links. Captain Scurvy tells us his feelings about Valentine's Day, and in the Art section we see a new search engine designed by the Prime Minister of Israel.
Special thanks to Curtis Jirsa for translating my letter to Laetitia.
That's about it. Remember to check this week's access stats here. I haven't been in the top ten for awhile, but maybe we can change that. The best way to get hits up, though, is to increase content. To do that, I need your submissions. You know where they go, so let's see 'em!