I Dare Not Kiss You
“She works so hard.”- corrupted by your father’s notions
- To John’s dull perceptions
- I dare not kiss you
- but now the bitter aftertaste
“I dare not kiss you,” she said, meaning, “Our previous kisses were sweet while they lasted, but now the bitter aftertaste is all that remains, the joy corrupted by your father’s notions of class distinctions and I dare not risk raising his ire again.”
To John’s dull perceptions it merely sounded like rejection. He blamed her cooling ardor on the long days she spent toiling cleaning his family’s mansion. “She works so hard,” he reminded himself. “I really should learn to pick up my own dirty socks.”