The Girl From Sri Lanka

I have no idea Whether she is Tamil or Sinhalese. The girl with her neatly combed hair And native dress Is a newcomer from Sri Lanka Who landed in Montreal Shortly before the devastating tsunami waves Of 2004 crashed ashore On her island country. She greets me with a friendly "Hello" And her lovely smile Fills the store space With innocent charm and grace. "Keep on smiling", I tell her Before I leave And she acknowledges the encouragement With an acquiescent expression on her face. I seldom see the same warm smile here In adults. Why is that? I ponder. I don't think the cold winters of Canada Should be blamed for this. After all babies here often smile happily. So could it be that we lost our smiles On the long crushing and grinding lane Of stress and alienation? Could it be that we smile less Than we should Because we expect too much from life?