Metranil Vavin
eshleman's metro vavin
my neighborhood (1964)
Too many people dropping heavy fruit in my sack!
Too many people taking my thin coin!
It is they say a paradox I am Vavin:
when I stand I am less than the priest on his knees.
The priest is never on his knees. I walk in Notre Dame
far from my neighborhood. People will think I am tourist here.
And I, I think they are like the people in my neighborhood --
they stand in a ceiling without angel.
They stand like the fruit-merchants over me.
Why has no one written me about my size?
You are paranoid Vavin they say.
They say this in my café when I cry.
Too many people taking my thin coin!
It is they say a paradox I am Vavin:
when I stand I am less than the priest on his knees.
The priest is never on his knees. I walk in Notre Dame
far from my neighborhood. People will think I am tourist here.
And I, I think they are like the people in my neighborhood --
they stand in a ceiling without angel.
They stand like the fruit-merchants over me.
Why has no one written me about my size?
You are paranoid Vavin they say.
They say this in my café when I cry.
translated by metranil vavin from Russian into
French, and translated by clayton eshleman from
French into English.
the english versions are dedicated to denis kelly
French, and translated by clayton eshleman from
French into English.
the english versions are dedicated to denis kelly
Translated by Clayton Eshleman
Page(s) 181
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