[ Writing and reading in Persian come more easily to him than speaking β the tangibility of the characters more easily parsed in his mind β even though it isn't as though he falters at all when he speaks with her, awkward sentences smoothing out under her hand. (It hasn't even been a month, after all; even a man of his dedication can only do so much.) So, as best he can, he asks her to sit for a portrait, tells her that she'll only be allowed to see the finished product upon the delivery of his next letter.
It's difficult and easy at the same time β the exercise of drawing forth and giving form to a thought always is. He knows how he sees her in his mind's eye β so clever that he think she wouldn't have to peer into his head to know every last part of him, so warm as to say our Manfred without having ever met him, so lovely, so brave β but how to put that onto paper?
Despite the agonizing nature of the process, the sketch that accompanies his next letter is surprisingly clean, free of any marks that would indicate lines being drawn and erased and drawn again, a work as confident as his love for her. ]
My darling muse,
Quite the contrary, as I expect you've now gathered β plants and bones may command my attention, but not my devotion. Any artist, I think, would balk at the idea of having to capture perfection; I can only hope my attempt, such as it is, doesn't displease you.
As for Manfred, his origin is curiosity. It persists, even now β I cannot even begin to guess at what will fascinate him next, though he's quite fond of anything that shines or glimmers. But he's as likely to find happiness with a gilded brooch as with a stick or a piece of string. I've had to learn to let go of any inclination to predict his behavior and simply accept that I've as much to learn from him as he does from me.
And I suppose you're right β I've had little occasion to play the student, in recent years. To teach oneself or to research alongside another, as we have, are entirely different endeavors. Well, that, and I quite enjoy getting to see another side of you. After all, a jewel cannot be fully appreciated by a single facet alone.
As for that last note, allow me to move it from a postscript to the main body of my letter: I do. Endlessly, I do.
no subject
It's difficult and easy at the same time β the exercise of drawing forth and giving form to a thought always is. He knows how he sees her in his mind's eye β so clever that he think she wouldn't have to peer into his head to know every last part of him, so warm as to say our Manfred without having ever met him, so lovely, so brave β but how to put that onto paper?
Despite the agonizing nature of the process, the sketch that accompanies his next letter is surprisingly clean, free of any marks that would indicate lines being drawn and erased and drawn again, a work as confident as his love for her. ]