Ghost smile is not defined in any dictionary, but is commonly known to Japanese anime writers and readers. I haven't seen a ghost smile, but after writing a poem about it, I'm sure I've helped you see one.
You cannot put your finger on it but it will grab you. The ghost is always around you, see if you can catch it . . .
A Ghost Smile
You cannot see, or hear it.
Never wolfish, only a wisp.
It tickles the corners of the mouth,
And onto the lips it creeps.
It flickers across a drear, sombre face,
And as fleetingly as it appeared, it fades.
It is a tiny shadow,
A mirage--
Utterly devoid of amusement--
That slightly dances across pale lips,
And once the deed is done,
All but left is a memory dip.
It tweaks.
It flits.
It hovers.
It quirks up a bit.
Nimbly it plays onto the pallid face,
Only as if to graze, if not retrace
The bleaching faint lines of the lips,
But it is all buried,
Before you blink next.
Did you see it?
No, did you?
Can you imagine?
Or was it a dream?
It once belonged in the family of laughter,
But now it's more a derisive frown,
Lurking in secrecy and darkness,
An apparition
On the faces in the crowd.
Ghost smile is not defined in any dictionary, but is commonly known to Japanese anime writers and readers. I haven't seen a ghost smile, but after writing a poem about it, I'm sure I've helped you see one.
