I.
The little boy would spit down on passers-by
from a window on the fourth story
and would hide instantly
behind the blinds.
the little boy would throw stones
in the street
to break the neighbor’s window-pane
and would hide behind a wall.
from a window on the fourth story
and would hide instantly
behind the blinds.
the little boy would throw stones
in the street
to break the neighbor’s window-pane
and would hide behind a wall.
II.
Standing
before a broken window,
the little
boy who was no longer a little boy
would spit
on the street
where he had
hidden his childhood
but he
wouldn’t run and hide anymore.
He who was
no longer a little boy
would repair
the window
that the
neighbor’s little boy had broken.
January 2009
Los Angeles
Translated
by Samvel Mkrtchyan